Judge Juan M. Merchan has postponed a key ruling on presidential immunity in Donald Trump’s hush money trial until September 16, just two days before Trump's scheduled sentencing. The delay follows a request from Trump's lawyers for the judge to address their renewed bid for his recusal from the case first.
Trump is expected in court on September 18 for sentencing or other appropriate proceedings. This comes after a jury found Trump guilty in May of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels. The payment was made to prevent Daniels from going public with a story of a sexual encounter with Trump shortly before the 2016 election. Trump has denied Daniels' claims and maintains that the case is politically motivated.
The Supreme Court's ruling limits prosecutions of former presidents for their official acts. However, the Manhattan DA’s office contends that this ruling does not apply to the hush money case, as it involves unofficial acts for which Trump is not immune.
The hush money case is just one of four criminal prosecutions brought against Trump last year. A federal case accusing him of mishandling classified documents at Mar-a-Lago was dismissed, with the Justice Department appealing the decision. The other cases, involving federal and Georgia state charges related to Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, are not expected to go to trial before the upcoming November election.
