Donald Trump’s hush money trial sentencing postponed after Supreme Court immunity ruling
Former President Donald Trump’s July 11 sentencing on 34 counts in Manhattan is being delayed after the Supreme Court announced its decision on presidential immunity.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has indicated it will not oppose a stay of sentencing while Trump’s lawyers file a motion to overturn his hush-money ruling.
Judge Juan Merchan will make the final decision, but since both sides agree, it is more likely that Trump’s sentencing date next week will be pushed back a few weeks.
A New York jury unanimously found Trump guilty on May 30 on 34 counts of falsifying corporate records, alleging that Trump covered up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her secret before the 2016 election.
But on Monday, Trump’s lawyer sent a letter asking for his conviction to be overturned and his sentence to be stayed, following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling.
Trump claimed he is immune from prosecution for conduct related to official acts while in office.
Donald Trump in Manhattan Criminal Court after being found guilty of 34 felonies, including falsifying corporate records on May 30
The conservative justices of the Supreme Court have ruled that a president enjoys immunity from prosecution for official acts while in office, but not for unofficial acts.
The decision marked a major setback for the federal criminal case against Trump, who is accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election and inciting the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
But after the ruling, Trump claimed the decision “completely negated most of the charges against me.”
Although the Public Prosecution Service indicated that it would not object to his request for a postponement of the sentence, it rejected the position that the conviction could be declared null and void.
“While we find the defendant’s arguments without merit, we do not oppose his motion for leave to try and his purported request for a stay of sentencing pending the determination of his motion,” Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass wrote.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg speaks to the media after Trump is convicted of all 34 felonies. His office said it is not opposed to delaying sentencing
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office asked Trump’s lawyers to respond to the documents they had filed within two weeks, a deadline of July 24.
The hush money case revolved around the ex-president’s personal activities during the 2016 campaign, which he used to cover up a sex scandal while he was running for president. However, some of the evidence used to convict him came from his time in office.
Trump’s lawyers argued Monday that the conviction should be overturned.
