Prosecutors urge judge to consider postponing Trump’s sentencing until after his presidency
President-elect Donald Trump’s six-year term New York Crime Odyssey It may be necessary to continue with at least four more, prosecutors said on tuesday.
Lawyers for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg wrote in a letter to Judge Juan Merchan that Trump should not be indicted for his crimes until he completes a second term. Sentenced. That was 2029, more than a decade after the investigation into Trump’s cover-up of “hush money” payments began.
“Given the need to balance competing constitutional interests, consideration must be given to various non-dismissal options that might address any concerns arising from the pendency of criminal proceedings following a trial during the President’s term, such as deferring all remaining criminal proceedings until the end of the President’s term “Defendant’s upcoming presidential term ends,” the document states.
businessman was A ruling is scheduled for November 12 But he delayed a decision on whether presidential immunity should prevent jurors from seeing certain evidence in Trump’s trial this spring. Merchant said he wants to hear how prosecutors handle the case, which has entered uncharted territory since Trump was re-elected as president.
Trump is the first person in American history to win the presidency after being convicted of a crime. He was also the first former president to serve as president Facing trial for a crime.
Trump promised minutes later The jury unanimously found him guilty May felony to fight his conviction. A few weeks later, Supreme Court rules former president immune He is being prosecuted for official conduct and evidence related to Trump’s work as president cannot be used at trial.
Trump’s lawyers argue Supreme Court ruling means convictions should be quashedhis sentence was annulled. They said jurors heard testimony from former White House staffers that should have been off limits during the trial. The legal team is led by Todd Branch and Emile Bove, who Trump has said he will appoint to senior positions at the U.S. Justice Department next year.
Bragg’s office argued that the materials Trump’s team protested were only a “small portion” of the evidence the jury considered — so small that it shouldn’t mean a waiver of the jury’s decision.
jury found Trump committed 34 feloniesprimarily by authorizing a program that conceals reimbursements Michael Cohenhis former lawyer and fixer. Cohen paid $130,000 to adult film star Stormi DanielsShe remained silent about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in the days leading up to the 2016 presidential election. This payment is often referred to as “hush money.”
Trump insists he is not guilty of falsifying business records — a crime for which he was convicted — and has vehemently denied Daniels’ story.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, then led by Cyrus Vance Jr., began investigating the hush-money deal in 2018. The investigation quickly expanded into a broad probe into Trump’s finances. Trump has attacked the investigation during his first term as president, fighting a subpoena to the Supreme Court, which made a landmark decision in 2020 allowing the office to obtain Trump’s tax returns Declaration form.
When Bragg took office in 2022, he scaled back the scope of the investigation and refocused on “hush money” transactions. The grand jury indicted Trump on March 31, 2023, and his trial began in April this year.
The seven-week trial ended with his conviction. The jury deliberated for less than two days.
After hearing 34 guilty pleas, Trump turned around, held his son Eric’s hand for a moment, and walked out of the courtroom.
Prosecutors were still packing their briefcases as Trump’s voice came from just outside the door.
He denounced the case and campaigned to return to the White House.
