In a significant legal development, a New York judge has postponed a decision regarding President-elect Donald Trump's conviction in his hush money case, citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump's trial, was expected to rule on the matter but has now delayed the decision until November 19.
Trump's legal team requested this postponement, arguing that it is essential to avoid constitutional impediments to his ability to govern. They contend that the Supreme Court's ruling indicates ex-presidents cannot be prosecuted for actions taken while in office, which could impact the evidence presented during the trial.
The case revolves around a $130,000 payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels in 2016, intended to silence claims of an affair with Trump. A jury convicted him of falsifying business records related to this payment. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting the prosecution was politically motivated.
As the first former president to face such a conviction, Trump is now confronting potential penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment. His lawyers have argued that evidence presented during the trial, such as his presidential financial disclosure form, was improperly included. Prosecutors, however, maintain that this evidence was only a minor part of their case.
With Trump's recent election victory, the legal implications of his status as a past and future president are under scrutiny. He has been attempting to have the case moved to federal court, a request previously denied by a federal judge, but he continues to pursue this avenue as he fights to overturn the conviction.