Judge postpones Trump hush money sentencing to September

New York Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday delayed the criminal sentencing of former President Donald Trump until Sept. 18 after he was scheduled to be sentenced on July 11.

Merchan's decision comes just hours after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said he would not object to a two-week delay of the sentencing in light of Trump's bid to cite the Supreme Court 's recent presidential immunity in a new motion to toss out his conviction. The judge said the new date in September will be used "for the imposition of sentence, if such is still necessary."

The decision means that Trump won't be sentenced before the Republican National Convention, where he is slated to become the GOP nominee to take on President Joe Biden in November. Instead, it will take place at the peak of the general election race, shortly after the next presidential debate on September 10.

Despite Bragg’s office’s stance that the 34-count conviction should stand, the district attorney agreed to a delay of the original July 11 sentencing.

Trump has already begun to mount his presidential immunity defense after the Supreme Court ruled that presidents and former presidents have vast immunity from prosecution. While Trump has not claimed immunity from the 34 counts of falsifying business records, he argues that the jury’s verdict should be dismissed due to evidence introduced in the trial, such as his statements while he was in the White House, that should have been excluded under the Supreme Court’s immunity test.

Trump’s attorneys must file their motion to set aside the verdict by July 10, with prosecutors responding by July 24. Merchan is expected to rule on the motion by September 6. If necessary, Trump’s sentencing will proceed on September 18.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

A jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records to influence the 2016 election by disguising reimbursements to Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer who paid $130,000 to a porn star to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump. The former president has denied the affair.

The Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity may also affect Trump’s other three criminal cases, particularly the federal election subversion case.