Trump Sentencing Delayed to September Following Immunity Ruling

Former President Donald Trump’s sentencing for business fraud has been rescheduled to September, following a recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.

New York Judge Juan Merchan announced on Tuesday that Trump’s sentencing, originally set for July 11, will now take place on September 18, “if such is still necessary.”

This postponement comes in the wake of a significant Supreme Court decision that grants presidents absolute immunity for their core official duties.

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The ruling has cast doubt on several legal cases against Trump, including Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment on election subversion charges.

It may also impact other pending cases related to classified documents and alleged election interference in Georgia.

The delay in sentencing coincides with a challenging period for President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign, reportedly struggling after a debate performance that has some Democrats questioning his candidacy.

In May, Trump made history as the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a felony. A Manhattan jury found him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in a case related to hush money payments.

Trump’s legal team has seized on the Supreme Court’s ruling to challenge his conviction. They argue that evidence of Trump’s official acts as president should not have been admissible in the trial. In a letter to the court, his attorneys stated:

“Under Trump, this official-acts evidence should never have been put before the jury. Consistent with arguments that we made before and during the trial, the Supreme Court held in Trump that President Trump ‘may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled, at a minimum, to a presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts.'”

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office, while disagreeing with Trump’s arguments, did not oppose the request to delay sentencing pending a decision on this motion.

This development highlights the complex interplay between presidential powers, legal accountability, and the upcoming election, raising questions about the timing and potential impact of Trump’s legal challenges on the political landscape.

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