On April 16, 2024, former US President Donald Trump attended the second day of his trial for allegedly covering up hush payments related to an extramarital affair at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City.
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A New York judge on Friday indefinitely postponed sentencing in President-elect Donald Trump’s criminal case over his hush payments.
In a court order, Judge Juan Merchan also allowed Trump’s lawyers to file a motion to dismiss the case, in which Trump was accused of found guilty 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The ruling temporarily canceled sentencing that had been scheduled for next Tuesday.
Prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office told Merchants this week that they support suspending the sentencing date to give Trump’s lawyers time to argue that the case should be dismissed outright.
But the district attorney’s office also said it would oppose dismissal.
Trump’s lawyers — including Todd BranchTrump – who recently appointed him as the Justice Department’s No. 2 official – said on Tuesday the case must be dismissed “immediately.”
“Just as a sitting president is completely immune from any criminal prosecution, so is President Trump as president-elect,” Branch and attorney Emile Bove wrote in a letter to Merchant.
Branch referred CNBC to Trump’s transition team, which celebrated the court order.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement, “The Manhattan scam case is now completely on hold and the verdict has been postponed. This is a decisive victory for President Trump.”
“All false legal attacks against President Trump have now been destroyed,” Zhang said.
The hush-money case centers on an attempt by Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen to prevent porn star Stormy Daniels from speaking publicly about her sexual relationship with Trump years ago before the 2016 election. Cohen said Trump repaid him the $130,000 after becoming president.
Trump has denied having a sexual relationship with Daniels and accused prosecutors of being politically motivated in pursuing the case.
A jury found Trump guilty on all counts in May, and Trump was scheduled to be sentenced in mid-July. But that step has been repeatedly delayed after the Supreme Court ruled that former presidents have presumptive immunity for all official acts they performed while in office.
The case in Manhattan Supreme Court is the only one of four separate criminal cases Trump faces trial before he wins the presidential election on Nov. 5 over Vice President Kamala Harris.
Other criminal cases may be closed as a result of Trump’s victory.
Two cases against Trump in federal court are expected to be dropped by the prosecutor, special counsel Jack Smith, before Trump takes office on January 20.
The cases in Washington, D.C., and Florida are based on allegations, respectively, that Trump illegally sought to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden and that he illegally mishandled classified records after leaving the White House.
As president, Trump can Fire Smith – He has said he plans to do so. According to reports, Smith and his team Plan to resign Before Trump got his chance.
A separate state criminal case against Trump in Georgia is also on hold and could drag on for years.
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