Judge Juan Merchan indefinitely delayed President-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing date Friday.
Trump’s sentencing will no longer take place as scheduled on Nov. 26, according to Merchan’s order.
Trump’s defense attorneys argued that the case must be immediately dismissed “in order to facilitate the orderly transition of executive power following President Trump’s overwhelming victory in the 2024 Presidential election.”
“As DA Bragg engages in his own election campaign, DANY appears to not yet be ready to dismiss this politically-motivated and fatally flawed case, which is what is mandated by the law and will happen as justice takes its course,” Trump’s attorneys told Merchan in a letter.
Merchan set a Dec. 2 deadline for the defense to file its motion to dismiss the case and instructed prosecutors to file their response by Dec. 9.
“In a decisive win for President Trump, the hoax Manhattan Case is now fully stayed and sentencing is adjourned,” Trump communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement. “President Trump won a landslide victory as the American People have issued a mandate to return him to office and dispose of all remnants of the Witch Hunt cases. All of the sham lawfare attacks against President Trump are now destroyed and we are focused on Making America Great Again.”
🚨BREAKING🚨 Trump’s sentencing in the NY case has been indefinitely postponed by Judge Merchan. pic.twitter.com/o6xdkDjBfL
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 22, 2024
A week after Trump won the election, Merchan paused all deadlines to allow prosecutors to determine their next steps. In a filing Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg suggested delaying the remaining proceedings until after Trump’s term ends in 2029.
“The People deeply respect the Office of the President, are mindful of the demands and obligations of the presidency and acknowledge that Defendant’s inauguration will raise unprecedented legal questions,” prosecutors wrote. “We also deeply respect the fundamental role of the jury in our constitutional system.” (RELATED: Alvin Bragg Opposes Dismissal Of Trump’s Case Despite Election Victory)
A Manhattan jury convicted Trump on 34 felony counts in May, though Merchan’s instructions never required them to agree on the underlying crime prosecutors alleged Trump falsified records to commit. Prosecutors alleged Trump falsified business records to reimburse Micheal Cohen, his former attorney, for a nondisclosure agreement with porn star Stormy Daniels to conceal one of three other possible crimes.
Trump’s sentencing date has already been pushed back several times. Originally scheduled for days before the Republican National Convention in July, Merchan delayed sentencing after the Supreme Court issued its ruling on presidential immunity.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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