Donald Trump has been granted a two-month sentencing postponement in New York’s successful criminal prosecution of the ex-president on 34 felony charges, after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declared presidents have “absolute” immunity for “official” acts. Trump was found guilty by a jury of falsification of business records with the intent of concealing hush money payments to an adult film actress and a Playboy Bunny to protect the 2016 presidential campaign that landed him in the White House.
“The July 11, 2024, sentencing date is therefore vacated,” New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan wrote Tuesday. “The Court’s decision will be rendered off-calendar on September 6, 2024 and the matter is adjourned to September 18, 2024, at 10:00 A.M for the imposition of sentence, if such is still necessary, or other proceedings.”
Trump was scheduled to be sentenced July 11, and could receive time in prison if the judge so decides, and now, if the Supreme Court’s ruling does not vacate his conviction.
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Some have said it would be difficult to argue Trump’s actions, including falsifying business records, were done as an “official” act of the presidency. The Supreme Court ruled private acts by presidents are still subject to criminal prosecution.
CNN adds that the Supreme Court’s Monday immunity ruling “has thrown special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of Trump on election subversion charges into doubt – and a trial before the November election is all but impossible now. The ruling could impact the indictments of Trump in the classified documents and Georgia election interference cases as well.”
On MSNBC, Vaughn Hillyard says Trump’s lawyers will argue that some of the evidence used by New York prosecutors might fall under the Supreme Court’s “official acts” ruling.
Watch MSNBC’s report below or at this link.
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