What to Know About This Week’s Developments in Donald Trump’s Trials
Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers were busy this week with new developments in three of Trump’s ongoing court cases, all of which had been dormant for several weeks.
On Friday afternoon Judge Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing Trump’s hush money case, rescheduled his sentencing for Nov. 26. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was previously scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 18. Similarly, Judge Tanya Chutkan, the judge overseeing Trump’s election subversion case, delayed setting a trial date until after Oct. 29.
Here’s what to know about this week’s developments:
The Hush Money Case
– What’s New: Merchan delayed sentencing Trump for his felony convictions until after the presidential election. The new sentencing date is set for Nov. 26. The decision is a win for Trump’s team, which requested the delay.
READ: Trump to plead not guilty to charges in revised election indictment
– Background: A jury in May found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents to conceal payments meant to silence stories of an extramarital sexual encounter. It was an elaborate “catch and kill” scheme carried out during his 2016 presidential campaign in a bid to influence the election. Merchan originally set Trump’s sentencing date for July 11 but early that month postponed it until Sept. 18. Merchan’s delay allowed him to weigh the potential effect of a Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, which found that presidents have immunity for official acts but not for unofficial acts.
– Why it Matters: Trump, the first former president convicted of felonies, faces a maximum sentence of four years. Delaying his sentencing gives Trump’s attorneys more time to prepare a challenge to the conviction, but it also prevents Trump’s attorneys from appealing the case – since appeals can’t happen before sentencing – and prevents him from potentially getting exonerated before the election.
The Election Subversion Case
– What’s New: Chutkan avoided setting