Monday, December 23, 2024

Trump’s sentencing in NY hush-money case delayed after SCOTUS immunity ruling

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NEW YORK (WABC) — The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money case in New York on Tuesday postponed sentencing to September 18, according to a letter sent to the parties.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office said Tuesday it would not oppose former President Trump’s request to file a motion arguing his conviction should be tossed after the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.

In a letter filed with the New York court, prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said they would be open to a two-week delay in the July 11 sentencing in order to file a response to Trump’s motions.

“Although we believe defendant’s arguments to be without merit, we do not oppose his request for leave to file and his putative request to adjourn sentencing pending determination of his motion,” assistant district attorney Josh Steinglass wrote in a letter to Judge Juan Merchan.

Prosecutors asked for two weeks to respond to the defense motion.

Trump will be arguing that his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records be thrown out because of the Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity.

Merchan has signaled to the parties he would rule on Trump’s motion to set aside his conviction on September 6. He gave Trump until July 10 to submit papers and the DA’s office until July 24 to respond.

The delay will push a sentencing decision past the Republican National Convention, which will kick off in Milwaukee on July 15. That means that Trump, now the presumptive GOP nominee, could become the Republican presidential candidate while it remains unknown what sentence he will face.

A jury took less than 10 hours to convict Trump of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records about a hush payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, wired Daniels $130,000 and Trump reimbursed him in monthly installments disguised as routine legal expenses.

Trump’s defense team previously invoked a presidential immunity argument in an unsuccessful effort to limit evidence and attempt to delay the trial.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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