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In a Friday order, New York Judge Juan Merchan indefinitely postponed President Donald Trump’s sentencing in the Stormy Daniels hush money case.
Merchan also granted Trump’s request to file a motion to dismiss the case altogether, with a December 2 deadline to file.
In May, Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump has continually denied any wrongdoing. He and many legal scholars have argued that the case was purely political.
Merchan previously delayed his sentencing to November 26 so as not to interfere with the upcoming presidential election. After Trump’s resounding victory on November 5, talks of dismissing the case immediately ensued.
The Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity initially ignited Trump’s team to push for a dismissal, given that certain evidence used in the trial involved Trump’s official acts as President.
Trump’s attorneys argued that the hush money trial was irreparably “tainted” by evidence that should have been inadmissible.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the charges against President Trump, agreed to delay his sentencing but stopped short of ending the prosecution.
A filing from Bragg’s office stated, “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.”
“We also deeply respect the fundamental role of the jury in our constitutional system,” his office stated.
Bragg’s hopes of retaining Trump’s conviction could also be thrown out the window should Merchan decide to scrap the conviction entirely based on the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling.
Other federal cases against President Trump will likely be dropped upon his inauguration or before. The election interference case in the state of Georgia could continue, although legal scholars have said that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is fighting a losing battle.
Turning Point Action Founder and CEO Charlie Kirk shared a clip of the breaking news in a post on X.
“The legal assault against President Trump is dying a slow, painful, and embarrassing death,” Kirk wrote.
Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany, who served as press secretary during the first Trump administration, posted a segment from her discussion about Merchan’s decision on X.
“There is only one acceptable outcome for the unprecedented criminal case in New York against President-elect Donald Trump: DISMISSAL. What is Merchan waiting for?”, she wrote.