Donald Trump won’t be sentenced for falsifying business records until after the 2024 presidential election. Judge Juan Merchan postponed Trump’s sentencing in the hush money case on Friday (September 6).
“The imposition of sentence will be adjourned to avoid any appearance—however unwarranted—that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the defendant is a candidate,” the judge ruled. “The court is a fair, impartial and apolitical institution. Adjourning decision on the motion and sentencing … should dispel any suggestion that the court will have issued any decision or imposed sentence either to give an advantage to or to create a disadvantage for any political party and/or any candidate for any office.”
He added, “This is not a decision this court makes lightly, but it is the decision which in this court’s view best advances the interests of justice.”
Trump’s sentencing was pushed back to November 26, three weeks after the election. It was previously scheduled for September 18.
The former president was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records in May. The charges stemmed from hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Trump’s lawyers filed a motion to overturn his conviction based on presidential immunity. Judge Merchan delayed his decision on the motion until November 12.
A separate judge rejected Trump’s attempt to move the hush money case from New York’s state court to federal court. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said it would be “highly improper for [the federal] court to evaluate issues of bias, unfairness or error in the state trial.”