Donald Trump's July 11 sentencing in his hush-money case may be postponed after his lawyers requested the judge to set aside his conviction following a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.
In a letter to Justice Juan Merchan, Manhattan prosecutors stated they believed Trump’s motion to overturn his conviction was “without merit” but did not oppose his request to delay the sentencing.
The Supreme Court recently ruled that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for "official actions" taken in office.
In May, Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records, based partly on evidence of meetings and communications during his presidency.
Trump's lawyers referenced Monday's ruling, which granted the former president immunity from prosecution for "official actions" taken in office.
Manhattan prosecutors have asked the judge to respond to Trump’s motion by July 24.
Judge Merchan now has to decide whether to formally adjourn the sentencing.
Trump's team argues that the former president signed off on the records in the hush money case while in office in 2017, though one lawyer suggested this was unlikely to be considered an official act.
They also claimed that during the Manhattan trial, prosecutors presented "highly prejudicial" evidence from his time in the White House, including his 2017 social media posts and testimony about Oval Office events, which should not have been shown to the jury.
In a letter to Justice Merchan, Trump’s lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote, “The verdicts in this case violate the presidential immunity doctrine and create grave risks of 'an Executive Branch that cannibalizes itself.'"
Last year, Trump’s lawyers similarly argued that the allegations fell within the scope of his official presidential duties. However, a federal judge wrote that Trump failed to show that his conduct was related to official presidential acts.
Trump hailed the Supreme Court’s recent ruling as a "big win" for democracy. The justices clarified that a president has immunity for "official acts" but not "unofficial acts."
This ruling pertained to a separate case where Trump is suspected of attempting to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election result.
President Biden criticized the Supreme Court ruling as a "dangerous precedent" that undermines the "rule of law" in America.
