NEW YORK (AP) — A judge on Friday agreed to delay Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush-money case until after the November election, giving him a stay of execution while he processes the aftermath of his conviction and the final stretch of his presidential campaign.
Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan, who is also considering a defense request to overturn the verdict on immunity grounds, postponed Trump’s sentencing until Nov. 26, several weeks after the final votes in the presidential election are cast.
The date was scheduled for September 18, about seven weeks before Election Day.
Trump’s lawyers have pushed for a delay on multiple fronts, petitioning the judge and asking a federal court to intervene. They argued that punishing the former president and current Republican nominee in the heat of his campaign to retake the White House would amount to election interference.
Trump’s lawyers argued that delaying his sentencing until after the election would also give him time to consider next steps after Merchan rules on the defense’s request to overturn his conviction and dismiss the case because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July ruling on presidential immunity.
In his order on Friday, Merchan postponed a decision on the matter until November 12.
A federal judge on Tuesday denied Trump’s request to have the U.S. District Court in Manhattan take over Merchan’s case in state court. If successful, Trump’s lawyers said they would have sought to have the verdict overturned and the case dismissed on immunity grounds.
Trump is appealing the federal court’s ruling.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted Trump’s case, gave the floor to Merchan and took no position on the defense’s request for a delay.
