Prosecutors in Trump NY criminal case signal they won’t oppose delay • Iowa Capital Dispatch

WASHINGTON — The fallout from President-elect Donald Trump’s criminal conviction in a New York state case will take years, as prosecutors signaled they would not oppose a stay of the case as the 47th president-elect spends four years in the Oval Office.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg wrote Tuesday that he would oppose Trump’s request to throw out the case entirely. But Bragg said he would not prevent the trial from being stopped or paused.

“Given the need to balance conflicting constitutional interests, various non-impeachment options should be considered during the presidency, such as postponing all remaining criminal cases until later, which could address concerns arising from post-trial pendency of criminal proceedings. Bragg wrote in an article that the Defendant’s upcoming presidential term has come to an end. memory It was to be handed over to New York Judge Juan Merchan this Tuesday.

Bragg requested that the motions be submitted by December 9. Unless Merchan directs otherwise, Trump still has a criminal sentencing date for Nov. 26 on his calendar.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung declared “complete and utter victory” in a statement shortly after Bragg’s letter was made public.

“The Manhattan DA has acknowledged that this Witch Hunt cannot continue. The unlawful prosecution has now been discontinued and President Trump’s legal team is moving to have this case dismissed outright,” Cheung said.

Conviction that made history

Trump, the first former president to be found guilty found guilty Felony charges were filed May 34 for falsifying business records related to bribing porn star Stormy Daniels to hide a decade-long sexual relationship at a Lake Tahoe golf club ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The potential delay in sentencing Trump while he is serving as president brings to an end, albeit temporarily, Trump’s only criminal case that is on trial.

The lawsuit filed by Bragg’s office was one of four criminal cases the former president faced. campaigned Reoccupying the Oval Office. Trump has also faced numerous civil lawsuits and is currently on the hook for nearly half a billion dollars in damages for his crimes. fake, slander And sexual abuse.

As Trump prepares to take the oath of office in just two months, the office of U.S. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith is also closed. to end There are two federal lawsuits filed against Trump because the department did not prosecute sitting presidents.

The federal lawsuits include fraud and obstruction charges stemming from Trump’s actions aimed at undermining his 2020 election loss. This action culminated in his supporters’ violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The other case, appealed by Smith after it was dismissed by a federal judge, revolved around accusations that the then-former president illegally received and stockpiled classified documents at his mansion in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, after leaving the White House.

Not the first delay in New York

Under New York criminal code, each of the 34 Class E felonies of which Trump was convicted carries a sentence of up to four years in prison.

Trump’s sentencing date has been postponed twice. In September, Merchan agreed to Trump’s request to postpone criminal sentencing until after the presidential election in November.

Merchan had already postponed Trump’s initial sentencing date in July after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that former presidents should be exempt from criminal charges related to core constitutional duties and other actions while in office. The court’s opinion also raised the issue of what kind of evidence is admissible in criminal cases against former presidents.

Trump asked Merchan to “set aside” the guilty verdict immediately after the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling. Merchan has not yet made a decision on the motion.

New York prosecutors and Trump’s defense team on November 12 jointly asked Merchan will postpone all hearings while prosecutors decide whether and how the case will move forward after Trump’s election victory.

Last update 14:39, 19 November 2024