Manhattan judge delays President-elect Trump's hush money sentencing
State Supreme Court Jutice Juan Merchan in his chambers in Manhattan in March. Credit: AP / Seth Wenig
President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing for paying hush money to an adult film star to prevent news of their sexual liaison from reaching voters ahead of the 2016 election has been officially delayed, the presiding judge ordered Friday.
Trump, who was convicted by a jury in May of 34 counts of felony falsifying business records, was scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 26. But both the prosecution and defense requested the proceeding be delayed.
State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan approved the delay and did not set a new date for sentencing.
The judge also set a Dec. 2 deadline for Trump's defense to file a motion seeking to throw out the jury's guilty verdict. Trump's team has argued that the case should be dismissed because it threatens to interfere with Trump's status as president-elect and president when he is sworn in Jan. 20.
Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who have been nominated by Trump to serve in high-ranking positions in the Justice Department, said in an earlier letter to the judge that the "immediate dismissal" of the case is warranted by "the federal Constitution, the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, and the interests of justice, in order to facilitate the orderly transition of Executive power following President Trump’s overwhelming victory in the 2024 Presidential election."
Manhattan prosecutors have vowed to fight the defense's attempt to throw out the jury verdict but have agreed to the sentencing postponement and said they would consider delaying it until Trump's four-year White House term had concluded.
Merchan set a Dec. 9 deadline for prosecutors to respond to the defense's motion.
The judge also agreed to delay his decision on a defense motion, filed after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that presidents have immunity from prosecution for official acts, to set aside the verdict.
Trump's conviction was a historic first. He was the first president or former president to be convicted of a crime. Trump was also the first former president to be held in contempt of court after Merchan did so when Trump violated an order prohibiting him from speaking publicly about court staff or jurors.
If Trump is ever sentenced on the conviction, he faces up to 4 years in prison. Although some legal experts have speculated that Trump, who has no prior criminal convictions, would likely receive probation.
At Trump’s trial, prosecutors alleged that he plotted a "criminal conspiracy" to win the election about two months after he announced his first run for president in June 2015.
Prosecutors said that Trump executed a series of "catch and kill" plans by paying off people alleging to have negative stories about him in partnership with his then-personal attorney Michael Cohen and tabloid publisher David Pecker.
Prosecutors said adult film star Stormy Daniels was paid $130,000 to stay silent.
Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.
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