A New York judge has agreed to delay the criminal sentencing of former President Donald Trump in a state hush money case after Trump claims the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision absolves him. The delay, until Sept. 18, is to allow arguments on how the immunity decision impacts Trump’s state-level convictions. Trump claims the 34 felony guilty verdicts violate the high court ruling and should be thrown out. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has agreed to the delay.
The Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made to a porn star before the 2016 election. Trump’s team has until July 10 to file arguments, with Bragg given a July 24 deadline for his reply. The sentencing date has been pushed to July 11, just days before Trump is set to be nominated as his party’s 2024 presidential candidate.
The Supreme Court’s ruling grants former presidents absolute criminal immunity for official acts but not unofficial acts. Trump escalated the question of presidential immunity to the Supreme Court after two lower courts denied his requests for immunity against federal criminal charges related to the 2020 election. Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, has asked the judge to set aside the guilty verdict in light of the Supreme Court ruling. New York prosecutors presented evidence showing Trump’s involvement in the hush money scheme, including checks with his signature and an Oval Office meeting.
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