Trump hush money judge refuses to throw out conviction on presidential ‘immunity’ grounds

Trump Hush Money Judge Upholds Conviction, Rejects Immunity Claims

A judge has denied Trump’s request to dismiss his hush money conviction, citing lack of presidential immunity in the case.

Politics

Trump, Hush Money, New York, Stormy Daniels, Conviction

New York: The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money case has decided not to throw out the conviction. His lawyers claimed he had “immunity” from prosecution, but the judge wasn’t having it.

So, it looks like Trump might step into the White House as a convicted felon. The timing of his sentencing is still up in the air, especially since a jury found him guilty of falsifying business records related to payments to Stormy Daniels.

Judge Merchan hasn’t made a call on whether the case should continue now that Trump is president-elect. In a recent filing, he pointed out that the evidence against Trump isn’t protected by the “immunity” that presidents usually get.

Even if some evidence could be shielded, it didn’t matter much because there was plenty of other evidence showing Trump’s guilt, according to the judge.

Merchan emphasized that the actions in question were personal and not part of Trump’s official duties as president. He made it clear that this case doesn’t intrude on the Executive Branch’s authority.

Back in May, a jury found Trump guilty of falsifying records to cover up hush money payments to Daniels, whose story could have hurt his 2016 campaign.

Trump’s payments to his lawyer, Michael Cohen, were falsely labeled as “legal expenses” in the records. The judge was supposed to decide on the “immunity” issue last month, but things got complicated after Trump’s election win.

Prosecutors recently asked the judge to keep the conviction intact and suggested delaying sentencing until after Trump’s presidency ends in 2029.

They argued that there’s no such thing as “president-elect immunity,” and even after he’s inaugurated, he won’t be able to wipe away the jury’s guilty verdict.

Trump’s defense team claimed that his election win should give him more immunity, saying that ongoing criminal proceedings could distract him from his presidential duties.

With the possibility of delays in sentencing, it seems Trump might enter office without facing any real consequences for his legal troubles.

Meanwhile, special counsel Jack Smith has wrapped up federal criminal cases against Trump for now, and an appeals court in Georgia has postponed discussions about his election interference case.

Image Credits and Reference: https://uk.yahoo.com/news/trump-hush-money-judge-refuses-004608808.html