After US election
Indictment open to freeze of Trump trial until 2029
Donald Trump will soon be US President again. However, the public prosecutor’s office wants to stick to the guilty verdict against the 78-year-old – but hints at a possible solution.
In the hush money trial against US President-elect Donald Trump, the public prosecutor’s office wants to stick to the conviction of the 78-year-old. At the same time, District Attorney Alvin Bragg appeared open to postponing the sentencing that was actually planned for next week for years – until after the end of the Republican’s second four-year term in office.
In a letter to Judge Juan Merchan, Bragg argued that no law says that a president’s criminal immunity affects a trial during which the defendant did not have immunity. In addition, Trump’s condemned behavior involves crimes that predated his first term as president and therefore did not enjoy any special legal protection.
Regarding a possible postponement, Bragg wrote: “Given the need to weigh competing constitutional interests,” consideration must include, among other things, postponing any further action “until after the end of the defendant’s upcoming term in office.”
Trump before his second term in the White House
An expected decision from the judge on how to proceed was still pending. If the guilty verdict remains, Trump could be the first sitting US president to be criminally convicted in just a few weeks.
Trump is scheduled to be sworn in for his second term as head of state on January 20th. This will normally last until January 2029, when Trump would be 82 years old.
Trump cites US Supreme Court ruling
At the beginning of July, the Supreme Court, with its right-wing conservative majority of judges, decided that Trump enjoyed immunity for certain official acts. The Republican’s lawyers want to use this historic landmark ruling to overturn the verdict in the hush money trial. As president, Trump must also be able to act, which could be hindered by a punishment in the case.
Background of hush money payments to a porn actress
Jurors in New York found Trump guilty on 34 counts at the end of May. The trial concerned the illegal concealment of $130,000 in hush money payments to a porn actress in order to gain advantages in the 2016 election campaign. In the worst case scenario, he could face several years in prison – although this is seen as unlikely given his upcoming presidency.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
