A New York judge on Friday delayed former U.S. president Donald Trump’s sentencing on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star until Nov. 26, three weeks after the presidential election.
Trump, the Republican nominee for president, had asked Justice Juan Merchan to push back his sentencing date until after Americans head to the polls on Nov. 5.
Trump had previously been scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 18, less than two months before the election.
Trump’s lawyers in August argued there would not be enough time before the sentencing for the defence to potentially appeal Merchan’s forthcoming ruling on Trump’s request to overturn the conviction due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision on presidential immunity.
Merchan had been scheduled to rule on that motion on Sept. 16.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump remained defiant after being found guilty on all 34 counts in his hush-money trial in New York, saying the trial was ‘rigged’ and a ‘disgrace’
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling, which related to a separate criminal case Trump faces, found that presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted for their official acts, and that evidence of presidents’ official actions cannot be used to help prove criminal cases involving unofficial actions.
Prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office argued their case involved Trump’s personal conduct, not official acts, so there was no reason to overturn the verdict.
But they took no position on Trump’s request to delay sentencing, saying in an Aug. 16 filing they deferred to Merchan on the question. The prosecutors said an appellate court could delay the sentencing anyway to give itself time to consider Trump’s arguments, a move they said would be “disruptive.”
More to come.
