On Friday, November 22, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan issued a court order agreeing to cancel the sentencing hearing for the “hush money case” involving former President Trump. The hearing was originally scheduled for next Tuesday, November 26, but the judge did not set a new date.
Merchan stated in the order that the motion to withdraw filed by the defendant has been granted, and the court has requested the defendant to submit formal application documents by December 2 and the prosecution to respond by December 9.
Furthermore, Merchan also agreed in the order to temporarily postpone ruling on the defendant’s motion. This means that the court will not make an unfavorable ruling immediately, giving Trump’s legal team more time to strengthen their application and seek the opportunity to overturn the conviction.
In May, a jury of 12 people found Trump guilty of 34 felony charges, including falsifying business records and his former lawyer Michael Cohen paying $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels as hush money. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Earlier this month, following Trump’s victory in the election, Merchan at the request of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office suspended all litigation proceedings in this case.
Bragg urged the court to balance respect for the presidential office and ensuring fairness in the judicial process, considering suspending the case until Trump, 78 years old, leaves office in early 2029.
On November 19, prosecutors rejected a request from Trump’s lawyers to dismiss the “hush money case” and requested the judge to set a litigation schedule. Merchan confirmed the schedule in the order issued on Friday.
Trump’s lawyers are aiming to completely overturn this case, arguing that the U.S. Department of Justice prohibits the prosecution of a sitting president, a principle that should apply to all states.
They also cited the Presidential Transition Act, emphasizing the role and responsibilities of the president-elect.
Steven Cheung, the incoming White House Communications Director for the Trump administration, called the ruling a “decisive victory” for the former and incoming president.
He stated, “President Trump has won a resounding victory because the American people have granted him the power to return to the presidency and put an end to all the remnants of ‘witch hunts’ (political persecution cases).” He also said, “All the false legal attacks against President Trump have now been destroyed, and we will focus on making America great again.”