Former President Trump is seeking to push back sentencing in his hush money case from the current sentencing date of Sept. 18 until after the presidential election.

Former President Trump is seeking to push back sentencing in his criminal hush money case until after the 2024 presidential election, arguing that the current sentencing date of Sept. 18 advances what his attorneys call prosecutors’ “naked election-interference objectives.”

Judge Juan Merchan has already delayed sentencing once, at Trump’s request, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision on presidential immunity.

Trump was originally scheduled to be sentenced on July 11. Judge Merchan ruled last month that he would rule on Trump’s immunity claim on Sept. 16 and impose sentencing two days later.

  • Lemminary@lemmy.world
    30·
    3 months ago

    I find it ridiculous that he’d have his sentencing rescheduled at all. Is this a Trumpian privilege or part of the US justice system? Like, if I were to be convicted and tried there, can I petition the judge to hold off for a reason that meets some criteria?

    • dhork@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      3 months ago

      You can, if you have a Supreme Court that is in your pocket and makes up new rules for the trial after the trial is over.

      The SC ruled not only that Presidents have a presumption of immunity for Official Acts, but also that their aides in the Executive Branch can’t give testimony about things the President says or does, even if those things fall outside the penumbra of “Official Acts”. So, after the trial was conducted with rules that allowed a small amount of testimony from Trump allies who also happened to be part of the administration, the judge was forced to consider whether these new rules affected the case.