Trump still has legal cases hanging over his head. The consequences are here.
And a Judge has handed down a ruling that Trump didn’t ever see coming.
If you would have told Donald Trump and his supporters that all of the legal cases being brought against him would be falling like dominoes one by one, especially after a big election win in which he carried all the swing states, not many would believe you. Simply put, at one point in the election cycle, it was not looking good for Donald Trump and company.
Several of the cases were put on ice before Donald Trump won a second term in the Oval Office but now after Donald Trump won a second term, the questions about the remaining legal cases brought against him are awaiting answers. Some good news has rolled in for Trump on this front.
Judge Juan Merchan Postpones Sentencing In ‘Hush Money’ Case, Case May Be Dismissed
Judge Juan Merchan has postponed the sentencing hearing in former President Donald Trump’s New York criminal case, which was originally scheduled for next week, in light of his election as President-elect. The delay gives Trump’s legal team additional time to file a motion seeking dismissal of the charges, arguing that his return to the presidency would grant him immunity and new legal defenses.
Trump’s lawyers have until December 2 to submit their motion, after which Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will have until December 9 to respond. This development comes after Trump’s conviction in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
🚨BREAKING: Judge Juan Merchan has granted President-elect Donald Trump's request to file a motion to dismiss the charges in the so-called "hush money" case (New York v. Trump) and removed the sentencing date for the president-elect indefinitely.
The legal assault against… pic.twitter.com/3LIEzA75CP
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 22, 2024
The prosecution argued that Trump, his former lawyer Michael Cohen, and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker participated in a scheme to conceal embarrassing stories about Trump’s s*xual history by paying off women, while failing to properly report these payments as campaign finance expenses. In order to secure a conviction, prosecutors needed to prove that Trump falsified business records to cover up an underlying crime: a conspiracy to defraud voters.
Although Trump could have faced up to four years in prison, it was more likely that he would receive probation, which could include fines or community service, as he was allegedly a first-time offender. Though, now the sentencing seems to be put on ice and may never be brought back up.
Trump’s legal team, in a letter filed on Tuesday, contended that “just as a sitting President is completely immune from any criminal process, so too is President Trump as President-elect.” They requested an extension for filing their motion, proposing a new deadline of December 20.
In contrast, Bragg has suggested that the case be frozen for the duration of Trump’s presidency, with sentencing postponed until the end of his term. However, Trump’s attorneys, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, have argued that dismissing the case is necessary for an orderly transition of power. They stated that this would be in line with the Constitution and federal law, as well as in the interest of justice, given Trump’s victory in the 2024 election.
Trump’s election victory has already impacted several of his other legal challenges. Special counsel Jack Smith has sought to pause cases related to Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election and the classified documents case, both of which were affected by recent rulings.
Additionally, Trump’s case in Georgia, centered on similar allegations of attempting to interfere with the 2020 election results, has seen repeated delays, with no trial date set.
Also worthy of note is that Donald Trump is well within his rights when he is inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States to pardon himself. Legal experts on all ends of the political spectrum generally agree that there’s no limitation in the U.S. Constitution or any federal law that would prevent a sitting U.S. president from absolving himself of legal liabilities.
The Conservative Column will be sure to bring you any breaking updates in the Trump legal cases.