Justice Juan Merchan delayed Donald Trump’s sentencing to September 18 to consider the former president’s immunity claim under a recent Supreme Court decision. This postponement pushes the decision closer to the November 5 election, where Trump is a candidate.
Originally scheduled for July 11, the new sentencing date aligns with the peak of the campaign season, shortly after the July 15 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Despite the landmark ruling that presidents cannot face criminal charges for official acts, Donald Trump’s sentencing involves actions before his presidency, complicating his appeal. Trump’s lawyers, leveraging the Supreme Court’s decision, argued on Monday to overturn the conviction, a move the Manhattan District Attorney’s office initially labelled as baseless but later agreed to delay the sentencing.
Read: Supreme Court Grants Limited Immunity to Former Presidents Trump
A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on May 30 of falsifying business records to conceal a payment meant to silence Stormy Daniels about an alleged 2006 encounter aimed at influencing the 2016 election outcome.
Prosecutors maintain that the payment was part of a scheme to sway the election, a claim Trump denies, promising to appeal post-sentencing. His lawyers have also contested using evidence from his presidency, which they claim should have been inadmissible.
Previously, Trump unsuccessfully tried to shift the case to federal court, arguing that the payment was linked to his official duties, a notion rejected by US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in July 2023.
Merchan plans to decide on the motion to overturn the verdict by September 6, with sentencing potentially following shortly if the conviction stands. Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors have deadlines of July 10 and July 24, respectively, to submit their arguments.
