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Trump may seek dismissal of hush money case
Donald Trump may seek dismissal of the criminal case in which he was convicted in May of 34 felony counts involving hush money paid to a porn star, a judge ruled on Friday, while also indefinitely delaying Trump's sentencing in light of his victory in the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election. Defense attorney Dwane Cates joined LiveNOW from FOX to discuss.
President-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing for his hush money trial conviction has been postponed indefinitely, according to court records.
Judge Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the case, also granted Trump’s lawyers’ requests to file a motion to dismiss the charges, Fox News Digital reports. Merchan said Trump attorneys have until Dec. 2 to file their motion for dismissal. The Manhattan district attorney's office has until Dec. 9 to respond.
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Trump’s defense attorneys have urged the judge to scrap the case before Trump takes office in January. His sentencing had been set for Nov. 26.
File: President-elect Donald Trump gestures while speaking during a meeting with House Republicans at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Washington, DC on November 13, 2024. (Photo by ALLISON ROBBERT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Echoing their stance since Trump's win, his lawyers argued in a letter Wednesday that continuing with the case will interfere with the president-elect's preparations for returning to the White House and impede his ability to run the country.
Trump was convicted in May of falsifying business records to cover up a scheme to influence the 2016 election by paying hush money to squelch a story of extramarital sex. Trump denies the allegations.
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Prosecutors opposed any efforts to dismiss the case, but they were open to delaying sentencing until after his second term.
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Trump Hush Money sentencing postponed indefinitely
A New York judge on Friday granted Donald Trump permission to seek dismissal of his hush money criminal case, in which he was found guilty earlier this year, in light of his victory in the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election. Trump, had been scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 26. But prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office earlier this week asked New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan to consider deferring all proceedings in the case until after Trump finishes his four-year presidential term that begins on Jan. 20.
In a court filing, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said Trump's forthcoming presidency isn't grounds for dropping a case that was already tried. But, citing "the need to balance competing constitutional interests," prosecutors said "consideration must be given" to shelving the case until after he's out of office.