Trump ruling on immunity in New York delayed until two days before sentencing – Washington Examiner

The New York judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial has delayed a key ruling on presidential immunity until two days before Trump’s scheduled sentencing.

Originally, the immunity decision was set for Sept. 6, with sentencing on Sept. 18. However, Judge Juan Merchan postponed the ruling to Sept. 16 after Trump’s lawyers requested he first decide on their motion for him to recuse himself from the case.

Judge Juan Merchan poses for a picture on March 14, 2024, in New York. A dozen Manhattan residents are soon to become the first Americans ever to sit in judgment of a former president charged with a crime. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Merchan confirmed Trump’s court date for Sept. 18 remains unchanged for sentencing or other proceedings.

In May, a jury in the New York borough of Manhattan found Trump guilty of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump denies her claims, asserts he did nothing wrong, and argues the case is politically driven by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.

Trump’s lawyers cite a July Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, seeking to overturn the May 30 guilty verdict and dismiss the case. They argue the trial was compromised by inadmissible evidence, including testimonies from former Trump staffers and his 2018 tweets.

The Supreme Court ruling limits prosecutions of former presidents for official acts and restricts using such acts as evidence of illegal unofficial actions. However, the Manhattan district attorney’s office argues this ruling does not apply since the hush money case involves unofficial acts.

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Additionally, Trump’s lawyers have asked Merchan to recuse himself, citing potential bias due to his daughter’s work for Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign and other Democrats, including President Joe Biden and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).

Merchan previously rejected similar recusal requests, deeming them speculative. Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, contends that Harris’s 2024 candidacy heightens these concerns.