Judge Cancels Trump’s New York Hush Money Sentencing

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 6: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media after exiting court for the day at his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 6, 2024... NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 6: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media after exiting court for the day at his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 6, 2024 in New York City. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records last year, which prosecutors say was an effort to hide a potential sex scandal, both before and after the 2016 presidential election. Trump is the first former U.S. president to face trial on criminal charges. (Photo by Julia Nikhinson-Pool/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Donald Trump’s sentencing on 34 felony counts related to his 2016 hush money scheme has been put on indefinite hiatus, a judge ruled on Friday.

Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan agreed to a request from both parties to cancel the sentencing, which had been scheduled for November 26.

The cancellation means that Trump is exceedingly unlikely to face sentencing over the guilty verdict before he takes office on January 20, 2025. Merchan said in the ruling that he would hear arguments on whether to dismiss the case in light of Trump’s election.

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said earlier this week that he would oppose a motion from Trump’s legal team to dismiss the case on the grounds of Trump’s recent election. But he made it clear that Trump’s election has catapulted the case into uncharted legal territory. Bragg suggested that Merchan may consider freezing the case for the duration of Trump’s term, but made no specific suggestion on how Merchan should proceed.

Throughout the six-week spring trial, Merchan ruled conservatively: he showed deference to Trump’s defense attorneys, and scolded them on several occasions for not being more aggressive in their defense of the the former President.

Merchan has yet to rule on a separate motion to dismiss the case from Trump over the Supreme Court’s July immunity decision. In that ruling, the court found that evidence relating to a President’s official conduct could not be admitted during a prosecution of unofficial conduct. That could shatter part of the trial, which focused on payments that Trump directed while in office to reimburse Michael Cohen for the hush money scheme.

Latest News
33
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. So trump gets away with 34 felonies…
    … … … …

    “The cancellation means that Trump is exceedingly unlikely to face sentencing over the guilty verdict before he takes office on January 20, 2025. Merchan said in the ruling that he would hear arguments on whether to dismiss the case in light of Trump’s election.”
    … … … …
    I need money… there’s a bank not far away I could rob…

    I need a cat image…this otta do…

  2. evidence relating to a President’s official conduct could not be admitted during a prosecution of unofficial conduct. That could shatter part of the trial, which focused on payments that Trump directed while in office to reimburse Michael Cohen for the hush money scheme.

    Looking forward to a future of considerable interesting behavior tagged as unprosecutable official conduct. Money in and (as in this case) money out. Also: violence, baseless prosecutions, elections on hold… it’s all Official Conduct.

  3. I thought Pluto transiting Aquarius was supposed to make all of this better? /s

  4. Somewhere Susan Collins is thinking, “I’ll bet this close call will surely teach him a lesson. He can now be trusted.”

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

27 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for robg Avatar for downriverdem Avatar for becca656 Avatar for psyclone Avatar for debg Avatar for califdemdreamer Avatar for commanderogg Avatar for darrtown Avatar for mainemomma Avatar for drschmitt Avatar for edgarant Avatar for lestat Avatar for tiowally Avatar for fuashcroft Avatar for seamus42 Avatar for larrykoen Avatar for communistagronomist Avatar for old_guru Avatar for McSweet Avatar for IBecameACitizenforthis Avatar for xcopy Avatar for jrstatesman Avatar for Paniq

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: