New York, NY – Former President Donald Trump’s legal team made a request on Monday to a New York judge overseeing his hush money trial to set aside his conviction and postpone his sentencing, originally scheduled for the following week. The defense cited a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in their letter to Judge Juan M. Merchan, urging him to delay Trump’s sentencing as they evaluate the implications of the high court’s decision on the New York case.
The lawyers argued that the Supreme Court’s decision supported an earlier defense stance that certain evidence presented by prosecutors, deemed official presidential acts, should have been excluded from the trial. Trump had previously asserted immunity from prosecution for actions taken during his presidency and his legal team raised objections to evidence, such as social media posts, that they believed should have been protected under presidential immunity.
In response to the defense’s request, the Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment on the matter. The Supreme Court’s ruling extended broad immunity to former presidents, causing further delays in a separate criminal case against Trump in Washington related to accusations of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results.
Trump was convicted in New York on multiple counts of falsifying business records in connection to a hush money payment made before the 2016 election. Scheduled for sentencing on July 11, Trump’s legal team is seeking to review the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling before proceeding with the case in New York.
Judge Merchan, who had implemented a procedure requiring brief letter submissions from both parties before formal court filings, had previously denied Trump’s request to move the trial from state to federal court. The federal judge overseeing the matter determined that the allegations in the case were personal in nature and did not pertain to the President’s official duties.
As Trump’s legal team navigates these legal challenges, the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling could significantly impact the trajectory of the case in New York and other related legal proceedings against the former President.