The verdict in the New York hush-money trial of Donald Trump has been postponed. Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of concealing a hush-money payment to former porn actress Stormy Daniels.
“If it is still necessary,” the announcement will be delayed until Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. local time, according to a document released Tuesday by Judge Juan Merchan. This is intended to take into account Monday’s Supreme Court ruling that granted Trump criminal immunity for “official” acts during his presidency.
Trump’s verdict will therefore be announced seven weeks before the US presidential election on 5 November. Trump was found guilty by a jury on 30 May on all 34 counts of using falsified business records to cover up a hush-money payment to former porn actress Stormy Daniels. Trump is the first former US president in history to be convicted of a criminal offence.
Shortly after the Supreme Court ruled Monday that Trump was entitled to immunity for “official” acts during his presidency, his attorney Todd Blanche wrote to the judge asking for permission to appeal the conviction and to suspend the sentencing date.
A prison sentence is considered unlikely
A prison sentence for the 78-year-old, who is seeking to run against incumbent Joe Biden in November’s presidential election in a repeat of the 2020 contest, is considered unlikely. Because it was Trump’s first criminal conviction and it was not a violent crime, experts expect probation or a fine.
However, Trump’s lawyers want to achieve a complete overturning of the guilty verdict and obviously see themselves encouraged in these efforts by the Supreme Court’s decision on Trump’s immunity and the US president in general.
The $130,000 (about 122,000 euros today) hush money to Stormy Daniels was paid before the 2016 election, before Trump took office in the White House. However, it was paid by Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen, who, according to the indictment, later got the money back from Trump once he was already president.
Supreme Court did not grant Trump full immunity
The Supreme Court, however, did not grant Trump complete immunity for all of his actions during his time as president. The court specifically excluded from criminal protection those actions that were “unofficial” — that is, private — in nature.
The Supreme Court’s decision also specifically referenced another case, namely the lawsuit against Trump in federal court over his efforts to retroactively overturn his 2020 election defeat to Biden.
Source: Krone
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