Manhattan prosecutors are opposing Donald Trump’s attempt to delay proceedings in his New York hush money case, as he seeks federal court intervention to potentially overturn his felony conviction.
However, they have not yet addressed Trump’s request to postpone his sentencing, which is currently scheduled for September 18, according to media reports.
In a letter to the trial judge, the Manhattan district attorney’s office argued that the judge is not legally obligated to delay post-trial decisions, despite Trump’s petition for the US District Court in Manhattan to take over the case from the state court where it was tried.
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Prosecutors urged Judge Merchan to move forward with rulings on two crucial defense motions: Trump’s request to delay sentencing until after the November election and his effort to overturn the verdict, following the US Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity.
Trump was convicted in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, whose claims of an affair threatened to disrupt his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has denied the allegations and maintains he did nothing wrong.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo clarified that prosecutors have not yet decided on Trump’s request to delay sentencing, leaving the decision on a suitable post-trial timeline to Judge Merchan.
Trump’s legal team argues that proceeding with sentencing as scheduled, just two days after the anticipated ruling on the immunity motion, would not allow sufficient time to consider next steps, including a potential appeal. They also contend that sentencing Trump on September 18, just weeks before Election Day, would constitute election interference, suggesting that Trump could be incarcerated as early voting begins.
Colangelo indicated that prosecutors are open to a timeline that permits adequate time to address Trump’s motion to overturn the verdict while avoiding undue delays in sentencing.
Trump’s lawyers argue that delaying proceedings is essential, citing alleged constitutional rights violations and issues related to presidential immunity. They claim that prosecutors rushed to trial without awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling, potentially leading to inadmissible evidence.
If the case moves to federal court, Trump’s team plans to seek a verdict overturn and dismissal on immunity grounds. Although a federal court initially rejected Trump’s request due to procedural issues, his lawyers intend to refile it.
(Includes inputs from online sources)
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