Judge in Trump’s hush money case delays date for ruling on presidential immunity
- Trump’s lawyers say the Supreme Court’s July ruling on presidential immunity warrants overturning the guilty verdict and dismissing the case
The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money trial is pushing back a date for a key ruling on presidential immunity until two days before Trump’s scheduled sentencing.
The immunity decision had been due September 6, with the sentencing set for September 18. But then, Trump’s lawyers asked Judge Juan M. Merchan last week to rule first on their renewed bid to get the judge to step aside from the case.
In a letter made public on Tuesday, Judge Juan M. Merchan postponed the immunity ruling to September 16 – if it’s still needed after he decides next week whether to recuse himself.
Merchan said the Republican presidential nominee is still due in court September 18 for “the imposition of sentence or other proceedings as appropriate”.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment. A request for comment was sent to prosecutors and Trump’s lawyers.
A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty in May of falsifying business records to conceal a deal to pay off porn actor Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.
