Trump's legal team is pushing for the relocation of the 'silent treatment' case to the jurisdiction of a federal court.
The current situation poses a "straight-up, irreversible damage" to Trump, asserted legal representatives Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, referring to the November presidential election and Trump's situation.
Shifting the case to a federal court might grant Trump "an impartial courtroom, devoid of local biases, allowing him to tackle these constitutional infractions," the lawyers stated.
Trump was convicted on all 34 counts on May 30, as per a New York jury, for fabricating business records to conceal a 2016 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. This marks the first time a former U.S. President has been convicted of a felony.
In July, the Supreme Court ruled that a former president boasts significant immunity from criminal prosecution for "official acts" during their presidency, but not for "non-official acts."
In July, Trump's legal team petitioned New York judge Juan Merchan to reverse the conviction. Merchan stated he will make a decision on the motion to vacate the conviction on September 16, followed by announcing the sentence on September 18, a mere few weeks before the November 5 presidential election, where Trump is contesting for the Republicans once again.
Mid-August, Trump sought a delay in announcing the potential sentencing until post-election.
A prison sentence for the 78-year-old, facing off against Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, seems highly unlikely. Experts predict a probation or fine, considering this is Trump's first criminal conviction and it's not a violent crime. Nevertheless, Trump's legal team is aiming for a full expungement of the guilty verdict.
The lawyers mentioned the potential benefit of shifting the case to a federal court, believing it could provide Trump with a "transmission" of justice, free from local biases. Despite the Supreme Court ruling that grants former presidents immunity for "official acts," Trump's legal team is still pursuing a "transmission" of a reversal of his conviction, aiming for a full expungement.
