WASHINGTON (AP) — A New York ruling on Tuesday agreed to suspend the conviction of former President Donald Trump in the hush money case after Trump said the U. S. Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity acquits him.
New York Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case, ordered the adjournment until Sept. 18 so the court can simply hear arguments on how Monday’s Supreme Court immunity ruling affects Trump’s convictions at the state level, according to court documents.
Trump says his 34 guilty verdicts in New York violate Monday’s Superior Court ruling and should be overturned, according to a letter to Merchan from Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche.
“The verdicts in this case violate the doctrine of presidential immunity and create serious dangers of ‘a self-cannibalizing executive force,'” Blanche wrote, adding that upon closer examination, “it will be obvious that the final results of the trial cannot be stopped. “
On May 30, a Manhattan jury found the former president guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business documents similar to a secret payment made to a porn star in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg agreed in a letter to Merchan to delay Trump’s sentencing by two weeks, according to court documents.
Trump’s team has until July 10 to present its arguments. Bragg agreed to set a July 24 deadline for his response.
“While we find the defendant’s arguments to be without merit, we object to his request for permission to search or his purported request to stay sentencing pending resolution of his motion,” Bragg wrote Tuesday.
Merchan had scheduled sentencing for July 11, just days before Trump was set to officially name his party’s nominee for the 2024 presidential election at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The new date delays sentencing less than two months before Election Day.
The Supreme Court ruled, by a vote of 6 to 3, that former U. S. presidents have absolute immunity from criminals by “fundamental constitutional” powers and are “entitled to at least purported immunity from prosecution for all their official acts,” but are not immune from criminal prosecution for “unofficial acts. “
Trump took the issue of presidential immunity to the Supreme Court after two lower courts rejected his requests for immunity from federal felony charges, claiming he had tried to overturn the effects of the 2020 presidential election in his final months in the Oval Office.
The justices’ majority opinion ordered that the 2020 election interference case be sent back to the lower district court to determine whether Trump’s moves were official or unofficial acts. These moves stem from Trump’s conversations with state officials about nullifying election and social effects. media posts claiming electoral fraud.
Blanche asked Merchan to “overturn” Trump’s guilty verdict in Monday’s Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. United States, according to the July 1 letter.
Blanche said the evidence presented through the prosecution opposing Trump in the New York affair is likely to be “official acts. “
The New York state case focused on moves made by Trump in his first year in office, adding a meeting in the Oval Office to discuss financial transactions with his former private attorney and the checks he signed.
“In the context of [Trump v. S. ], this evidence of official acts has never been presented to the jury,” Blanche wrote.
“Moreover, as we have previously argued, [Trump v. United States] prohibits “the use of evidence relating to such [official] conduct, even when an indictment alleges only unofficial conduct. “This includes President Trump’s “Tweets” and “hearings. “”address[es],” Blanche wrote, citing the Supreme Court’s opinion.
New York prosecutors presented a wealth of evidence, adding business records and testimony, during the seven-week trial, illustrating that Trump reimbursed his former lawyer Michael Cohen for giving $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump then registered the bills as “legal fees” and increased the amount so that Cohen would have to account for taxes and a bonus.
The testimony also revealed an Oval Office meeting Trump held with Cohen to discuss the payment plan, and the evidence included nine checks with Trump’s private signature.
This story has been updated to include more details.
by Ashley Murray, Florida Phoenix July 2, 2024
WASHINGTON (AP) — A New York court agreed Tuesday to suspend former President Donald Trump’s felony conviction in the hush money case after Trump claimed the U. S. Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity acquits him .
New York Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case, ordered the adjournment until Sept. 18 so the court can simply hear arguments on how Monday’s Supreme Court immunity ruling affects Trump’s convictions at the state level, according to court documents.
Trump says his 34 guilty verdicts in New York violate Monday’s Superior Court ruling and should be overturned, according to a letter to Merchan from Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche.
“The verdicts in this case violate the doctrine of presidential immunity and create serious dangers of ‘a self-cannibalizing executive force,'” Blanche wrote, adding that upon closer examination, “it will be obvious that the final results of the trial cannot be stopped. “
On May 30, a Manhattan jury found the former president guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business documents similar to a secret payment made to a porn star in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg agreed in a letter to Merchan to delay Trump’s sentencing by two weeks, according to court documents.
Trump’s team has until July 10 to present its arguments. Bragg agreed to set a July 24 deadline for his response.
“While we find the defendant’s arguments to be without merit, we object to his request for permission to search or his purported request to stay sentencing pending resolution of his motion,” Bragg wrote Tuesday.
Merchan had scheduled sentencing for July 11, just days before Trump was set to officially name his party’s nominee for the 2024 presidential election at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The new date delays sentencing less than two months before Election Day.
The Supreme Court ruled, by a 6-3 vote, that former U. S. presidents have absolute immunity from criminals for “fundamental constitutional” powers and that they are “entitled to at least purported immunity from prosecution for all their official acts,” but are not immune from criminal prosecution for “unofficial acts. “
Trump took the issue of presidential immunity to the Supreme Court after two lower courts rejected his requests for immunity from federal felony charges, claiming he had tried to overturn the effects of the 2020 presidential election in his final months in the Oval Office.
The justices’ majority opinion ordered that the 2020 election interference case be sent back to the lower district court to determine whether Trump’s moves were official or unofficial acts. These moves stem from Trump’s conversations with state officials about nullifying election and social effects. media posts claiming electoral fraud.
Blanche asked Merchan to “overturn” Trump’s guilty verdict in Monday’s Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. United States, according to the July 1 letter.
Blanche said the evidence presented through the prosecution opposing Trump in the New York affair is likely to be “official acts. “
The New York state case focused on moves made by Trump in his first year in office, adding a meeting in the Oval Office to discuss financial transactions with his former private attorney and the checks he signed.
“In the context of [Trump v. S. ], this evidence of official acts has never been presented to the jury,” Blanche wrote.
“Moreover, as we have previously argued, [Trump v. United States] prohibits “the use of evidence relating to such [official] conduct, even when an indictment alleges only unofficial conduct. “This includes President Trump’s “Tweets” and “hearings. “”address[es],” Blanche wrote, citing the Supreme Court’s opinion.
New York prosecutors presented a wealth of evidence, adding business records and testimony, during the seven-week trial, illustrating that Trump reimbursed his former lawyer Michael Cohen for giving $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump then registered the bills as “legal fees” and increased the amount so that Cohen would have to account for taxes and a bonus.
The testimony also revealed an Oval Office meeting Trump held with Cohen to discuss the payment plan, and the evidence included nine checks with Trump’s private signature.
This story has been updated to include more details.
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Ashley Murray covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Their policy spaces are accompanied by internal politics and credit.
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