A judge of New York has delayed the scheduled sentencing of donald trump while their lawyers continue pressing to have his conviction overturned. Trump was originally scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on Nov. 26. He was found guilty of 34 serious crimes of fraud in May 2024.
His lawyers argue that his conviction should be annulled on grounds of presidential immunity and because it would interfere with his duties facing 2025. The district attorney of manhattanwho prosecuted Trump, suggested to the judge that sentencing wait until after his second term in office.
The judge Juan Merchan was the one who suspended all procedures until hearing the arguments of both parties, which must be presented in December. At this time, he did not order a new sentencing date.
But the court is now up against the clock to decide what to do, as Trump’s inauguration in late January approaches. In May, a New York jury found Trump guilty of dozens of counts of falsifying business records.
Donald Trump’s sentencing, once again delayed
The charges arose from the Trump’s efforts to hide refunds from his personal lawyer. The lawyer had made a payment to an adult film star to silence her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump.
Prosecutors argued that the payment, which occurred just days before the 2016 election, amounted to election interference because concealed potentially damaging accusations from voters. Trump denied the crime, the sexual encounter with the young woman Stormy Daniels and described the case as politically motivated.
The cleanup after the November 5 elections
Since Trump’s election, his lawyers have redoubled efforts to clear his conviction. In July, The US Supreme Court ruled that presidents have immunity facing criminal prosecution for certain official acts performed while in office.
That decision was the result of a battle over Trump’s federal election interference case. But Trump’s lawyers in his criminal trial in New York argue that those protections should extend to this case as well.
The sentencing battle was postponed until after the election. Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, called for the “immediate dismissal of this case,” because, according to him, such a result is required by the US Constitution and the Presidential Transition Act.
On Friday, Judge Merchan ordered Trump’s legal team to present their full arguments for the dismissal by December 2, several weeks earlier than proposed. Prosecutors must present their arguments to keep the conviction intact by December 9. The judge said he will not accept any more response briefs from either party after those deadlines.
Source: Ambito
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