Former President Donald Trump's sentencing for a hush money conviction might extend beyond the upcoming November elections. Deliberations over Trump's sentencing date are ongoing, with key decisions expected by mid-September.
The Daily Caller reported that on Thursday's edition of "CNN News Central," Elie Honig, CNN's senior legal analyst, delved into the possible postponement of Donald Trump’s sentencing in New York.
The conversation revolved around the implications of a motion filed by Trump to discard his hush money conviction, stemming from payments made to his former attorney, Michael Cohen.
In May, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to these payments.
These charges initially led to a sentencing date set for July 11. However, this date was pushed back following a pivotal Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, which Trump's defense cited in their appeal.
Trump's legal team argues that evidence from his tenure in the White House, which they claim was improperly used, should lead to the overturning of his conviction.
This argument is central to the motion currently under consideration by Judge Juan Merchan.
Judge Merchan, overseeing the case, has the option to either dismiss the conviction based on Trump's arguments or allow it to stand, thereby permitting an appeal prior to sentencing.
This decision is pivotal and could impact whether the sentencing will proceed as initially planned on September 18.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has remained neutral on the issue of delaying the sentencing further.
This adds an element of uncertainty to the proceedings as the legal community and public await Judge Merchan's decision.
"Trump made a motion to throw out that hush money conviction based on the same immunity case.
He said, ‘Some of the evidence the prosecutors use against me had to do with my time in the White House. That should not have been used against me. Therefore, Judge Merchan, throw out the conviction.' That is pending," Honig explained on CNN.
"He has not decided yet, but Trump has said, ‘if you reject that, if you keep the conviction in place, I get to appeal before sentencing.'"
Amidst the ongoing sentencing debates, Trump faces other legal challenges. Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment against him for election interference. This indictment contains similar charges to those previously made, compounding the legal battles Trump is currently navigating.
Further complicating matters, Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed a case against Trump concerning classified documents in July. The dismissal was based on the assertion that the special counsel was not legally appointed, a decision that has stirred significant debate within legal circles.
"So it’s up to the judge. He may well decide that ‘I’m going to let Trump appeal before sentencing,’ which would mean the sentencing would be way past the election,” Honig added. “Or option B for Judge Merchan is he could say, ‘No, I’m going to keep sentencing on for September 18,’ but that date now is very much in question as to whether we actually will see a sentence."
As the date for Judge Merchan's decision approaches, the potential for delayed sentencing adds another layer of complexity to Trump's multifaceted legal troubles.
