By Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s sentencing for his conviction in the hush money case has been postponed to September 18, just seven weeks before the 2024 presidential election. Justice Juan Merchan of the New York State Supreme Court made this decision to allow time to consider Trump’s argument regarding presidential immunity, following a recent Supreme Court ruling.
The delay pushes the sentencing date from the originally scheduled July 11, which would have been just days before the Republican National Convention. This new timeline means that Trump’s potential punishment, including possible jail time, could be decided at a crucial point in the election campaign.
The postponement comes after Trump’s legal team requested the opportunity to argue that his conviction should be overturned based on the Supreme Court’s July 1 ruling. This landmark 6-3 decision stated that presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted for official acts and that evidence related to official actions cannot be used to prove criminal cases involving unofficial conduct.
However, Trump faces an uphill battle in getting his conviction overturned, as much of the conduct in question predates his presidency. The case revolves around falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. This payment was allegedly made to keep Daniels quiet about a purported 2006 sexual encounter until after the 2016 election.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has argued that Trump’s immunity claim is “without merit” but agreed to the sentencing delay to allow the defense to present their case. Trump continues to deny any sexual encounter with Daniels and has vowed to appeal the conviction after sentencing.
The defense team contends that prosecutors presented evidence involving Trump’s official acts as president, including social media posts and conversations from his time in the White House. They argue this evidence should not have been presented to the jury.
This argument echoes a previous unsuccessful attempt by Trump’s team to move the case to federal court. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected that motion in July 2023, stating that the hush money payment was “a purely personal item” unrelated to presidential duties.
Justice Merchan has set a timeline for the legal proceedings, with Trump’s lawyers required to submit their arguments by July 10, and prosecutors facing a July 24 deadline to respond. The judge plans to rule on Trump’s request to set aside the jury’s verdict by September 6, with sentencing to follow on September 18 if the conviction is upheld.
This development adds another layer of complexity to the already contentious 2024 presidential race, potentially impacting Trump’s campaign strategy and public perception as he seeks to return to the White House.
