Trump’s criminal sentencing delayed until after election

Donald Trump’s sentencing in his Manhattan hush money criminal trial has been postponed until after the November election, BBC reported.

Judge Juan Merchan on Friday delayed the sentencing to 26 November, citing “the unique time frame this matter currently finds itself in” among his reasons.

Lawyers for Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, have used several legal manoeuvres to delay the sentencing, which had been scheduled for 18 September.

A New York jury in May convicted Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, the first time a sitting or former president has been convicted of a crime.

In his decision, Judge Merchan wrote that the case demands “a sentencing hearing that is entirely focused on the verdict of the jury”.

“Their verdict must be respected and addressed in a manner that is not diluted by the enormity of the upcoming presidential election,” he said, setting sentencing to exactly three weeks after the 5 November election.

He said the delay was necessary “to avoid any appearance - however unwarranted - that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate”.

“The Court is a fair, impartial and apolitical institution,” the judge continued.
Trump could face a sentence of up to four years in prison, but Judge Merchan also has the discretion to impose a punishment of a fine, probation or a shorter jail term.

Prosecutors in the case accused the former president of concealing a payment to buy the silence of Stormy Daniels, a former adult-film star, in the final days of his 2016 election campaign.

Ms Daniels testified that she and Trump had sex, and that she accepted $130,000 (£99,000) from his former lawyer before the 2016 election in exchange to keep quiet about the encounter.

Prosecutors argued that, by approving a scheme to disguise the money as legal expenses, Trump broke election law.

Trump’s original sentencing date was in July. His lawyers delayed that after a US Supreme Court ruling that granted presidents some immunity from criminal prosecution for “official acts”.

Judge Merchan granted a delay so that the parties could prepare arguments on the effects of the Supreme Court ruling on his case.

A decision on the implications will come on November 12.