New York judge delays Trump hush money sentencing

President Trump Holds A Press Conference At Trump Tower Day After Guilty Verdict

Source: David Dee Delgado / Getty

President-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing in his New York criminal case has been postponed as his attorneys seek to dismiss the prosecution following his election victory.

Judge Juan Merchan has halted the case to consider Trump’s argument that his return to the White House warrants the dismissal of his 34-count felony conviction.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg opposes this request and suggests freezing the proceedings until Trump leaves office. Trump’s legal team is pushing for the dismissal of the case, citing the need for an orderly transition of power.

The former president’s criminal defense strategy has focused on delaying proceedings, with his sentencing in the hush money case successfully postponed until after the election.

The former president’s criminal defense strategy largely relied on delaying legal proceedings until after the election. Trump managed to postpone trials in his other three criminal cases, and in the only case that reached a verdict—the New York hush money case—he successfully delayed sentencing until after the election.

The jury’s verdict made Trump the first former U.S. president convicted of a felony. If the conviction stands, he would also become the first person to assume the presidency with a criminal record, should he return to the White House.