The judge overseeing President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money trial has further delayed his long-expected decision on the Republican’s guilty verdict in light of the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity earlier this year.
New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan agreed with prosecutors and defence attorneys to allow more time to figure out whether the verdict should stand, given the unprecedented nature of the circumstances surrounding the case.
Trump’s sentencing in the state criminal trial had already been pushed back more than four months from its original date in July, after he was found guilty on all 34 felony counts in May. It had been set for November 26.
The case against Trump revolved around a hush money payment made to the porn actor Stormy Daniels in the days leading up to the 2016 presidential election. She maintains that she once had a brief affair with Trump, which he denies.
Trump was president while he signed checks in the repayment scheme that was at the heart of the trial.
He had been facing the possibility of jail time on the charges, although they are low-level, and his status as a first-time offender would likely be taken into account.
While the Department of Justice has a general policy against prosecuting sitting presidents, the hush money case was brought at the state level, not federal. However, Merchan could decide to honour the spirit of the federal policy, given that he was just re-elected to a second term.
In any case, if the verdict stands, Trump would be unable to pardon himself on the charges once he takes the oath of office in January — remaining, at least for now, the only felon president in history.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.