Court postpones Donald Trump’s sentencing for a third time

A New York judge has once more postponed Donald Trump’s sentencing in his landmark criminal case, amidst his ongoing efforts to have the conviction overturned. Mr. Trump, convicted in May on 34 felony fraud charges, had been scheduled for sentencing on November 26, which is less than two months prior to his presidential inauguration. His legal team contends that the conviction should be dismissed based on presidential immunity and the argument that sentencing would impede his responsibilities as president. The Manhattan district attorney, who led the prosecution against Mr. Trump, is advocating for the sentencing to proceed, though he has indicated a willingness for it to be deferred until after Mr. Trump’s potential second term. On Friday, Justice Juan Merchan halted all court proceedings, a move described as a victory by Mr. Trump’s team, pending additional arguments from both sides in December. However, the court faces increasing time pressure to determine the next steps, given the approaching date of Mr. Trump’s inauguration in late January. In May, a New York jury convicted Mr. Trump on numerous counts of falsifying business records. These charges originated from his attempts to conceal reimbursements to his personal attorney, who had paid an adult film star to prevent her from publicizing allegations of a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump. Prosecutors successfully contended that this payment, made just days before the 2016 election, constituted election interference by withholding potentially harmful information from the electorate. Mr. Trump has consistently denied any misconduct and characterized the legal proceedings as politically motivated. He has asserted that he did not engage in a sexual encounter with the woman, Stormy Daniels. Steven Cheung, Mr. Trump’s communications director, stated on Friday, “In a decisive win for President Trump, the hoax Manhattan Case is now fully stayed and sentencing is adjourned.” Following Mr. Trump’s election, his legal representatives have intensified their efforts to overturn his conviction. In July, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling establishing that presidents possess immunity from criminal prosecution for specific official actions performed during their tenure. This particular ruling originated from a legal dispute concerning Mr. Trump’s federal election interference case. However, Mr. Trump’s lawyers in his New York criminal trial contend that these protections ought to be applicable to the current case as well. The dispute over sentencing had been deferred until after the election, which Mr. Trump won convincingly on November 5. Todd Blanche, Mr. Trump’s attorney, advocated for the “immediate dismissal of this case,” asserting that such a resolution was mandated by the U.S. Constitution and the Presidential Transition Act. Nevertheless, the Manhattan district attorney responded this week, stating his intention to oppose any motion to dismiss the conviction. He also recognized the unique constitutional questions involved and proposed the possibility that Justice Merchan could delay Mr. Trump’s sentencing until after his presidency concludes in 2029. On Friday, Justice Merchan directed Mr. Trump’s legal counsel to submit their complete argument for dismissal by December 2, a deadline several weeks earlier than they had suggested. Prosecutors are required to present their arguments to uphold the conviction by December 9. The judge indicated that no additional reply briefs from either party would be accepted following these deadlines.