A New York judge on Friday granted former President Donald Trump a delay in his sentencing until November 26, ensuring that he will not face any criminal penalties before the 2024 presidential election. This development is part of a broader legal strategy Trump has employed in hopes of postponing or dismissing his criminal cases while seeking to reclaim the White House.
Trump has faced multiple criminal cases, three of which have already been deferred or entangled in pretrial matters beyond the election. The Friday ruling provided a similar outcome for Trump in the hush money case, which stands as the only one resulting in a guilty verdict thus far.
The sentencing for this case, originally scheduled for September 18, was postponed by Judge Juan Merchan. The decision came after Trump argued that a delay was necessary for various reasons, including his intent to appeal if Merchan did not dismiss the 34-count conviction on the grounds of presidential immunity. The ruling offers Trump yet another legal victory in his ongoing efforts to manage his court proceedings while campaigning for the presidency.
In explaining the delay, Merchan stressed the importance of not allowing the case to influence the outcome of the upcoming election or to be influenced by it. “This matter is one that stands alone, in a unique place in this Nation’s history,” Merchan wrote, emphasizing that he had presided over the case from its start and that careful consideration would be necessary moving forward.
Judge Merchan added, “Were this Court to decide, after careful consideration of the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump, that this case should proceed, it will be faced with one of the most critical and difficult decisions a trial court judge faces — the sentencing of a defendant found guilty of crimes by a unanimous jury of his peers.”
Trump has a long history of seeking to delay legal proceedings against him. Despite numerous efforts to postpone his hush money trial, including an attempt to move the case to federal court, most of these efforts have been unsuccessful. A federal judge swiftly rejected Trump’s attempt to transfer the case, stating that the former president had failed to demonstrate “good cause.”
However, following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that carved out certain protections for former presidents, Trump has experienced new success in slowing the legal processes against him. This ruling established that former presidents have presumptive criminal immunity for official acts carried out during their time in office. Any protected actions cannot be presented as evidence in related cases.
Reacting to the delay, Trump posted on his Truth Social account, expressing his belief that the case should be dismissed entirely. “This case should be rightfully terminated as we prepare for the Most Important Election in the History of our Country,” Trump wrote.
The case involves 34 charges of falsifying business records, linked to hush money payments made during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Merchan initially scheduled sentencing for July, with Trump’s legal team not objecting at the time. However, after the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity, Trump’s lawyers pushed for further delays, which Merchan granted, rescheduling the sentencing for September. The defense team argued that the jury had improperly seen social media posts, ethics documents, and testimony from White House aides, which they claimed were protected by presidential immunity.
Judge Merchan was originally expected to rule on Trump’s immunity arguments by September 16, raising concerns about potential last-minute legal challenges before the sentencing. Trump’s legal team filed a request for a further delay, citing the limited time available to protect Trump’s rights. “A single business day is an unreasonably short period of time for President Trump to seek to vindicate these rights, if he must, in order to avoid the ‘prospect of an Executive Branch that cannibalizes itself’ in future generations,” his attorneys wrote.
With the new delay in place, Merchan is set to rule on Trump’s immunity claims by November 12, just days after the presidential election. If the conviction is not overturned, sentencing will proceed on November 26.
In justifying the delay, Merchan emphasized that the court must remain impartial and independent. “The Court is a fair, impartial, and apolitical institution,” Merchan wrote, adding that the delay would avoid any suggestion that the court’s decisions could influence the political landscape. “Adjourning decision on the motion and sentencing, if such is required, should dispel any suggestion that the Court will have issued any decision or imposed sentence either to give an advantage to, or to create a disadvantage for, any political party and/or any candidate for any office,” he stated.
Following the judge’s decision, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, reiterated that there should be no sentencing at all in this case. He cited the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity, arguing that Trump’s hush money case and other legal challenges should be dismissed. On the other hand, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office pointed to the unanimous conviction by a New York jury, affirming the case’s legitimacy. “The Manhattan D.A.’s Office stands ready for sentencing on the new date set by the court,” the spokesperson said.
Prosecutors did not oppose the delay but deferred to Judge Merchan, citing logistical challenges and security concerns. They also highlighted issues in Trump’s previous delay efforts, including claims regarding the judge’s daughter’s work at a progressive digital agency, which had been rejected. While prosecutors expressed reservations about some of Trump’s arguments, they ultimately deferred to the court’s decision. “The People respectfully defer to the Court on the appropriate post-trial schedule,” they wrote.
This delay continues a pattern in Trump’s legal strategy, as he seeks to defer proceedings until after the 2024 election, hoping to regain political power and potentially shield himself from further prosecution. The delayed sentencing now leaves Trump with time to focus on his campaign, while the courts continue to navigate the complexities of his legal battles.
