Judge in Trump hush money case postpones sentencing to consider whether case should be dismissed

Judge presiding Donald TrumpFriday’s New York hush money trial postponed sentencing scheduled for next week to allow more time for discussions on whether to dismiss the case.

State Judge Juan Merchan The decision was made after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said in a court filing earlier this week: wHEI can’t do itoppose a motion Trump’s lawyers requested postponement of sentence 34 serious crimes forging business records.

Merchan set new deadlines in early December for Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors to present their arguments on whether the case should be dismissed in light of Trump’s election as president. The defense must file by Dec. 2, and the prosecution has until Dec. 9 to respond.

Trump was scheduled to be sentenced on November 26, but his lawyers argued that the sentencing hearing and the entire trial should go like this:was dismissed immediatelyBecause of the presidential immunity protections they claim are already in place as a result of their “landslide victory” on Election Day.

“Just as a sitting President is completely immune from any criminal process, so is President Trump as president-elect,” Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove said in a filing Wednesday.

They also argued that he could not be convicted after his term was up because that period was too long to wait.

Trump said last week: Plans to nominate Blanche and Bove For senior positions at the Department of Justice in its new administration.

Prosecutors in Manhattan said they would oppose efforts to dismiss Trump’s hush money case, but acknowledged his sentence may have to be imposed after he leaves office.

“The public deeply respects the office of the President, is aware of the demands and obligations of the presidency, and recognizes that the Defendant’s inauguration will lead to unprecedented legal problems.” theIfiling in question.

“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. Prosecutors added that it was the end of the Defendant’s upcoming term as president.

Trump was convicted In any case, he was on all counts in May following a week-long trial in which his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, was accused of falsifying business records to conceal the repayment of hush money he paid to the adult film star. Stormy Daniels In the closing days of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Daniels claimed that she had sexual intercourse with Trump in 2006, but he denied this claim.

Trump was first planned to be sentenced in July, but the trial was postponed following the decision of the US Supreme Court that month. expandEd presidential immunity protections In a federal lawsuit against Trump. Following that ruling, his lawyers said his New York conviction and underlying indictment should be thrown out, arguing that the Supreme Court’s ruling meant prosecutors should not have been allowed to use some trial evidence against him.

Manhattan jury’s decision attracted attention first A former US president was convicted of a crime. The case was just one of four criminal cases filed after Trump left office and went to trial in 2021.

Two federal lawsuits to end As a result of his Election Day win, the state’s trial in Georgia has been moving slowly as Trump and some of his defendants try to sue. disqualify the prosecutor. Their appeal was scheduled to be heard in December, but the appeals court abruptly canceled the hearing this week.