- The silent treatment process could jeopardize Trump's path to the White House.
US Presidential candidate Donald Trump has requested a delay in the announcement of his potential sentencing in the New York hush money case until after the November election. His lawyer, Todd Blanche, argued in a letter to Judge Juan Merchan on Wednesday that there is "no basis for continued haste" in the case. The sentencing date is currently set for September 18.
Blanche added in his letter that the only reason for urgency could be "unmasked attempts at election interference." While he did not elaborate, the phrasing implies an accusation that a sentencing less than two months before the election would be an attempt to influence the vote.
Trump's lawyers have previously attempted, unsuccessfully, to remove Judge Merchan from the case due to bias. They cited Merchan's daughter working for an organization with ties to President Joe Biden and Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris' Democratic Party.
Lawyers try everything to prevent verdict
Trump was found guilty by a jury on May 30 on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a 2016 election campaign payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels. At 78, he is the first former US president to be convicted of a crime.
The sentencing is now in Judge Merchan's hands. However, Trump's lawyers filed a motion in July to vacate the guilty verdict and the entire case, citing a Supreme Court decision from early July that granted Trump partial immunity from criminal prosecution as a former president.
Probation or fine likely
Merchan initially set the sentencing for July 11 but postponed it to September 18 after the Supreme Court's immunity decision. A hearing on Trump's motion to vacate the case is scheduled for September 16. Merchan set the sentencing date contingent on the decision about this motion, stating that it will proceed "if still necessary."
If the guilty verdict stands, experts predict Trump will likely receive probation or a fine, as the crime is not violent and it's his first criminal conviction.
Trump has also stated he will appeal the verdict, which would further prolong the case.
Hush money affair not Trump's only legal battle
Trump has consistently employed a strategy of delay in his legal disputes, which has largely been successful so far.
Besides the hush money case, the former president is currently facing two other criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results against Biden. The start dates for these trials are unknown.
Another criminal case involving Trump's removal of classified government documents to his Florida residence was dismissed by a federal judge in July.
The Commission, comprising legal experts and judges, might need to carefully consider Trump's lawyers' argument against a rushed sentencing, given the potential implications for election interference. Despite the guilty verdict, The Commission needs to decide on an appropriate punishment, taking into account probation or a fine, considering that the crime is non-violent and it's Trump's first conviction.
