Judge Grants Donald Trump’s Request to Delay Sentencing as High-Stakes Election Heats Up
New York, U.S.A – A New York judge has delayed the sentencing of Donald Trump in the Stormy Daniels hush money case, granting a request from Trump’s legal team to postpone the decision until after the U.S. presidential election. The former president, now a Republican candidate, was originally set to be sentenced on September 18, but Judge Juan Merchan rescheduled the sentencing for November 26—well after the November 5 election.
Judge Merchan explained that the postponement was necessary to “best advance the interests of justice,” as Trump’s lawyers are also seeking to dismiss the conviction following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that grants former presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecutions. Merchan is expected to rule on the dismissal motion by November 12.
Trump was convicted in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to suppress her allegations of an affair just before the 2016 election.
High-Stakes Election and Legal Battle
The delay in sentencing comes as Trump faces off against Democrat Kamala Harris in a fiercely contested presidential race. With the first televised debate just days away, Trump’s legal troubles have remained front and center. Instead of addressing key voter concerns like immigration or the economy, Trump delivered remarks in New York denying multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault.
“This is not the kind of publicity you like,” Trump admitted, though he spent considerable time recounting his legal battles and deflecting accusations.
Election Drama and Mail-In Ballots
The court ruling coincided with the scheduled distribution of mail-in ballots for the election, starting in the battleground state of North Carolina. Around 130,000 absentee ballots were set to go out, marking the symbolic beginning of the 2024 election process. However, an eleventh-hour lawsuit by independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has since dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump, temporarily halted the process.
North Carolina is one of several key swing states that both Trump and Harris have been targeting as early voting is set to begin in late September across the U.S.
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