Judge Suspends Trump Hush Money Sentencing

Facts

• Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan has agreed to postpone US pres.-elect Donald Trump's Nov. 26 sentencing for his hush money case until after he's expected to leave office.^[1][2]
• Trump was convicted in May by a Manhattan jury on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130K payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.^[2][3]
• This follows Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's decision to do the same, agreeing earlier this week to postpone the sentencing until Trump left office.^[4][5]
• According to legal analyst Alan Dershowitz, the proposed delay would prevent Trump from filing an appeal while serving as president, as New York law requires sentencing before an appeal can proceed.^[6]
• The Justice Department maintains that sitting presidents cannot be indicted or prosecuted, while a recent Supreme Court ruling expanded immunity protections for former presidents. If the case were to resume after his term, he could theoretically still be sentenced.^[4][5]
• This comes as Trump's other cases have been indefinitely stalled, with the DOJ pausing its federal cases due to his incoming presidency and the Georgia trial being on hold. Trump's legal team is seeking to dismiss those as well.^[1]

Sources: ^[1]NPR Online News, ^[2]New York Post, ^[3]CNN, ^[4]Washington Free Beacon, ^[5]The New York Times and ^[6]Daily Caller.

Narratives

• Republican narrative, as provided by Townhall. Despite their best efforts, the corrupt prosecutors and judges of New York have been forced to drop their witch hunt cases. While it shouldn't have taken a Republican landslide to reach this conclusion, the American people can rest assured that the man they voted for will be free to govern the country without worrying about left-leaning lawfare.
• Democratic narrative, as provided by The New York Times. Despite Trump's criminal history, Democrats should consider ending all of his cases for the sake of democracy's stability. The election's outcome — where voters chose him despite high-profile charges — renders a verdict on their legitimacy. While these were legitimate convictions, the Constitution encourages American leadership not to set dangerous, politically driven precedents after an election.