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New York Judge Juan Merchan has opted to delay the decision on sentencing in Donald Trump’s widely publicized hush-money case, pushing the proceedings back to November 19.
This rescheduling could prolong the consequences of Trump’s conviction well into his forthcoming administration. The court’s announcement on Tuesday marks another pause in his ongoing case centered on alleged hush-money payments.
“The joint application for a stay of the current deadlines… until November 19, is granted,” the court said in an email seen by AFP.
Amid several prior delays, this decision affects a high-stakes case in which Trump faces 34 felony charges that could lead to sentencing.
This delay, The Guardian reports, is largely due to numerous motions filed by Trump’s defense team over the past year, many of which requested additional time or contested parts of the trial process.
Originating from Trump’s April 2024 appearance in court, the case stands as a milestone, making him the first former president to be criminally charged.
The Eastern Updates has learned that, Trump, 77, was accused of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign.
This hush-money case is just one of four criminal cases Trump is grappling with as he campaigns for the White House.
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In May, a New York jury found him guilty on all counts in an unprecedented verdict that jolted U.S. political circles.
The case was adjourned to September and then delayed again.
This was the first conviction of a former president for business fraud, setting off waves across media outlets from The Eastern Updates to CBS.
Trump’s team had anticipated that a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity might offer him a shield, leading Judge Juan Merchan to delay sentencing until September and, subsequently, November.
According to a statement released at the time by Biden’s campaign, the conviction underscored that “no one is above the law.”
Biden’s communications director, Michael Tyler, said, “Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain.”
