A Manhattan judge will decide next week whether to uphold the felony conviction against Donald Trump following his historic election win. Justice Juan Merchan, who presided over Trump’s “hush money” criminal trial, had delayed sentencing for over four months until after the election. He has until next Tuesday to determine whether the conviction should be dismissed.
Trump, 78, was convicted of 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records to cover up payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. The conviction could carry a sentence of up to four years in prison.
However, Trump’s legal team is expected to argue that as president-elect, he should be afforded the same constitutional protections as a sitting president, which could shield him from state-level criminal prosecution. CNN’s chief legal affairs correspondent, Paula Reid, noted that Trump’s overwhelming election victory could embolden his legal team to postpone the sentencing indefinitely.
Legal experts have predicted that Trump will avoid serving time. Former prosecutor Neama Rahmani stated, “Merchan doesn’t have the stomach to imprison a former president or president-elect,” adding that Trump’s legal challenges may be less of a concern now that he has been re-elected.
Trump’s legal team is expected to press the judge to overturn the conviction, arguing that his status as president-elect should grant him immunity from the state charges.
