Last week, Judge Juan Merchan delayed the sentencing of former President Donald Trump in his criminal hush money case to Nov. 26, notably after the 2024 presidential election. In an official statement, Merchan said the decision was made “to avoid any appearance — however unwarranted — that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching Presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate.”
Trump’s attorneys made the case to Merchan that it would be inappropriate to hold the sentencing after the start of early voting, which has already begun across several states.
Trump’s sentencing was originally set to take place on July 11, but it was pushed to Sept. 18 after a letter from the Supreme Court that said “former presidents enjoy broad immunity for official acts.” The Sept. 18 date was set to take place in the middle of his campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris, but now Trump will not have to worry about any potential sentencing affecting the results of the election.
The sentencing the former president is facing is from a case that concluded in May when Trump was found guilty on 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election by covering up an affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. According to the ruling, Trump’s lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen, paid $130,000 to Daniels to stay silent during the final weeks of the 2016 election.
While the decision by Merchan to delay the sentencing was made with the intention of maintaining the integrity of both the court and the election, it will give Trump the chance to, if re-elected, order the Justice Department to drop all on-going federal cases against him.
In what has already been an incredibly chaotic election cycle for the former president, including two assassination attempts and a change in political opponent, the news of a delayed sentencing comes as welcoming news for Trump. The general election between Trump and Harris will take place on Nov. 5.
wjackso2@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @MTGrepp, X
