Judge Will Decide Friday on Delay for Trump’s Sentencing in Hush Money Case

A New York judge is set to rule on Friday regarding former President Donald Trump’s request to delay his sentencing in a hush money case. This announcement was made in a court filing that emerged on Thursday.

Trump is currently slated to be sentenced on September 18 after being convicted in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. These charges stem from payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels intended to aid his campaign during the 2016 presidential election. If convicted, Trump faces a potential prison term of up to four years.

In a recent development, Trump petitioned Judge Juan Merchan to postpone the sentencing until after the upcoming presidential election. Judge Merchan confirmed on Thursday that he would announce his decision on this request on Friday.

The timeline for the ruling was disclosed by prosecutors in a letter to a federal appeals court currently deliberating on whether to intervene in the case.

According to the prosecutors’ letter, “The judge has now informed the parties that the decision will be rendered tomorrow, September 6, 2024.”

Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected Trump’s appeal to transfer his criminal case to federal court. In response, Trump’s legal team filed a 28-page document urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to temporarily halt Hellerstein’s order, a move intended to stall the ongoing criminal proceedings, including the sentencing.

Trump’s attorneys, Emil Bove and Todd Blanche, argued that failing to grant the requested stay would result in “irreparable harm” to both Trump and the American public.

In a filing submitted on Thursday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office opposed Trump’s request. They maintained that there was no justification for involving the appellate court in this matter.

Steven Wu, the chief of appeals in the Manhattan DA’s office, elaborated in the court letter that state court is actively reviewing Trump’s motion to delay a ruling on his post-trial motions and the sentencing hearing until after the election.

The defense has contended that Trump’s case should be tried in federal court on the grounds that the allegations and evidence are connected to his conduct as president. They cited a recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity to strengthen their argument.

In their appeal, Trump’s legal team stressed the potential for “irreparable harm” should the sentencing proceed, stating that it could lead to Trump’s “unconstitutional incarceration” right before the 2024 Presidential election.

They asserted, “Unlawfully incarcerating President Trump in the final weeks of the Presidential election, while early voting is ongoing, would irreparably harm the First Amendment rights of President Trump and voters located far beyond New York County.”

On the same day that the ruling is expected, a panel from the federal appeals court will also review Trump’s appeal related to a civil judgment from 2023. This ruling found Trump liable for the sexual abuse of magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, resulting in a $5 million damage award for Carroll.