Donald Trump’s sentencing was postponed to until September 18 by a judge on Tuesday. This followed by his conviction in the case of covering up hush money payments which was also pushed till September 18. This followed after a landmark ruling on presidential immunity by the Supreme Court. The setencing was originally scheduled to take place on July 11, which was just days before the Republican National Convention.
Judge Juan Merchan is said to have informed, “The matter is adjourned to September 18, 2024, at 10 am for the imposition of sentence, if such is still necessary,” in a court filing in order to allow time for consideration of the Supreme court ruling.
This delay pushes the sentencing to after the Republican National Convention, scheduled for mid-July, where Trump is expected to be named the party’s nominee for the 2024 presidential election.
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump, as a former president, enjoys some immunity from prosecution.
The legal team of Trump has quickly replied to the ruling stating that it vindicated their position that Trump should not be prosecuted for his “official acts.” They reiterated their call for the New York conviction to be set aside in a letter to the court.
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Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg indicated in a filing that he did not oppose the delay, though he maintained that the “defendant’s arguments to be without merit.”
It seems to be the first time that a former US President has ever been convicted of a crime. Trump is found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business record to cover up hush money transactions concerning an alleged affair with an adult film star during the 2016 elections.
In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, Trump took to Truth Social in order to declare his innocence. “I was Totally and Completely Innocent from the beginning of this Giant and Highly Illegal Scam, long before the Supreme Court’s Decision,” he wrote. “The impact of the Immunity Ruling is a loud and clear signal for Justice in the United States. I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”
The supreme court’s verdicts have been identified as ambiguous by the legal experts. A former FBI agent and law professor at Yale University, Asha Rangappa told AFP that Trump has been convicted for a conduct which seemed ‘far removed from his official duties’. “ However, the limited guidance provided by the ruling makes it challenging to determine what constitutes official versus unofficial acts.
Trump continues to attempt to postpone the tri als until after the 2024 elections even though there are several criminal charges against him. The conservative majority of the Supreme Court upheld its previous decision by stating that all presidents have the “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecutions for the presidential “official actions” performed while in the office, they can still be punished for “unofficial actions.”
United States Supreme Court justice John Roberts has said it most pointedly in his majority opinions, that even a president is ‘not above the law,’ although he cannot be prosecuted for official actions without immunity by the congress. The case that involved Trump was in a deadlock, hence, Trump’s case was remanded with a lower court so as to determine which of Trump’s conducts were official or unofficial.
