Trump's hush money sentencing delayed after immunity ruling

New York, New York - New York prosecutors are open to delaying Donald Trump's sentencing for covering up hush money payments after he moved to toss his conviction following the Supreme Court's immunity ruling, according to a filing published Tuesday.

New York prosecutors are open to delaying Donald Trump's sentencing for covering up hush money payments, according to a filing published Tuesday.
New York prosecutors are open to delaying Donald Trump's sentencing for covering up hush money payments, according to a filing published Tuesday.  © Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

The US's top court ruled Monday that Trump enjoys some immunity from prosecution as a former president, a decision also set to delay his trial for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election.

Hours after the ruling was announced, Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, said in a letter to the New York court that the immunity ruling vindicated Trump's position that he should not be judged for his "official acts" and reiterated his call for the conviction to be set aside.

"Although we believe the defendant's arguments to be without merit, we do not oppose his request for leave to file and his putative request to adjourn sentencing," Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg said in the filing.

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It is the judge in the New York case who will ultimately decide any delay to the sentencing, currently scheduled for July 11.

The conviction in New York in May made Trump the first former US president ever convicted of a crime. He was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments over his alleged affair with an adult film star in the run-up to the 2016 election.

Will Trump use immunity ruling to evade ongoing criminal cases?

Trump, in posts on Truth Social, welcomed the Supreme Court immunity ruling, calling it a "big win for our Constitution and democracy."

The ruling comes four months ahead of the presidential election in which Trump is the Republican candidate to take on Democrat Joe Biden.

Facing four criminal cases, Trump has been doing everything in his power to delay the trials until after the election.

UPDATE, 3:10 PM EST: Judge agrees to delay Trump's sentencing

The judge in Trump's hush money trial has approved a delay for his sentencing, shifting it from July 11 to September 18.

The former president's legal team had asked for the delay in the wake of the Supreme Court's landmark immunity ruling, arguing that Trump now should not be judged for "official acts" as president.

The new date is still before the presidential election but will now fall after the Republican National Convention later this month.

Cover photo: Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

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