Judge delays Donald Trump’s sentencing in hush money case until after November election

U.S. former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump departs after speaking during a press conference at Trump Tower in New York City on September 6, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

A judge agreed Friday (September 6, 2024) to postpone Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush-money case until after the November election, granting him a hard-won reprieve as he navigates the aftermath of his criminal conviction and the homestretch of his presidential campaign.

Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan, who is also weighing a defence request to overturn the verdict on immunity grounds, delayed Mr. Trump’s sentencing until November 26, several weeks after the final votes are cast in the presidential election.

It had been scheduled for September 18, about seven weeks before Election Day.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers pushed for the delay on multiple fronts, petitioning the judge and asking a federal court to intervene. They argued that punishing the former President and current Republican nominee in the thick of his campaign to retake the White House would amount to election interference.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers argued that delaying his sentencing until after the election would also allow him time to weigh the next steps after Mr. Merchan rules on the defence’s request to reverse his conviction and dismiss the case because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July presidential immunity ruling.

In his order Friday, Mr. Merchan delayed a decision on that until November 12.

A federal judge on Tuesday (September 3, 2024) rejected Mr. Trump’s request to have the US District Court in Manhattan seize the case from Mr. Merchan’s State court. Had they been successful, Mr. Trump’s lawyers said they would have then sought to have the verdict overturned and the case dismissed on immunity grounds.

Mr. Trump is appealing the federal court ruling.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which prosecuted Mr. Trump’s case, deferred to Mr. Merchan and did not take a position on the defense’s delay request.