A New York judge on Tuesday delayed the sentencing of former President Donald Trump in his felony criminal case so that the judge can consider whether a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling might require him to overturn the conviction.
Judge Juan Merchan was to sentence Trump on July 11 for his conviction on 34 charges that he illegally tried to influence the outcome of his successful 2016 presidential campaign by falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to a porn star to silence her claim — denied by Trump — that they had a one-night tryst in 2006. Merchan has rescheduled the sentencing for September 18.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not be charged with offenses related to his official actions as president although he could face prosecution for unofficial acts. The high court ruling centered on Trump’s actions in late 2020 and early 2021, when he is alleged to have illegally tried to upend his 2020 reelection loss.
