That’s huge! The news that Judge Juan Merchan is considering dropping the case against President Trump in New York following his election victory is a major development. Legal experts have long highlighted that Department of Justice guidelines prevent the prosecution of a sitting president, and with Trump’s clear mandate as president-elect, treating him as a “sitting president” seems reasonable. This potential move not only aligns with precedent but also underscores the legal respect for the office of the president. It would be a clear message that the judicial system, at least in this case, won’t be weaponized to target political opponents. The timing is crucial, as this case has always raised questions about its motivations and the relentless pursuit by New York’s justice system. Harris and her supporters, who have continuously targeted Trump, need to recognize that Americans have spoken decisively. It’s time to move forward with the nation’s best interests in mind, respecting the integrity of both the election and the office. With Trump’s victory and a renewed mandate, these divisive legal battles should end.
Following Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan is deliberating whether to overturn Trump’s felony conviction related to the “hush money” case. The conviction, which includes 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, carries a potential sentence of up to four years in prison.
Legal experts suggest that Trump’s new status as president-elect may influence the judge’s decision. Former prosecutor Neama Rahmani commented, “Merchan doesn’t have the stomach to imprison a former president or president-elect.” The judge has postponed sentencing by over four months, scheduling it after the election, and has set a deadline for his decision on the conviction for next Tuesday.
Trump’s legal team is expected to argue that, as president-elect, he is entitled to constitutional protections similar to those of a sitting president, potentially shielding him from state prosecutions. This development underscores the complex interplay between legal proceedings and political status.
- A Manhattan judge is considering overturning Donald Trump’s felony conviction in the “hush money” case. (NY Post)
- Trump’s conviction includes 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, carrying a possible sentence of up to four years. (NY Post)
- Legal analysts believe Trump’s status as president-elect could impact the judge’s decision, with suggestions that imprisoning a president-elect may be unlikely. (WSJ)
- The judge, Juan Merchan, has delayed sentencing until after the election, with a final decision on the conviction due next Tuesday. (NY Post)
- Trump’s lawyers argue that, as president-elect, he deserves protections that could shield him from state prosecutions, raising constitutional questions. (NY Mag)
Comments
- Among so many reasons for America to feel vindicated with the results of the last elections. Who can forget this idiot biased and disgraced judge Juan Merchan. The NYS ethics judiciary chose to allow this judge to look out for his and his daughter’s personal interest instead of doing what the ethics rules dictated. – State of Nature
- The Manhattan judge who oversaw Donald Trump’s hush-money criminal trial will now consider whether to toss the president-elect’s historic felony conviction before he re-returns to the White House. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan had already delayed sentencing by more than four months to come after the election — and has given himself until Tuesday to decide if the conviction should still stand, CNN said. He will face intense pressure from the president-elect’s legal team who now want “to make sure that sentencing never happens,” CNN chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid said late Wednesday. “Here, they’re going to argue to the judge that the sentencing should never happen because now that Trump is president-elect,” Reid noted. They will say that he is entitled to the same constitutional protections as a sitting president and should be protected from state actors, and in this case, state prosecutors.” Trump, 78, faces up to four years in prison after being convicted of 34 counts of felony falsifying business records to cover up payments to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Legal experts have already predicted Trump won’t face hard time. Merchan doesn’t have the stomach to imprison a former president or president-elect,” former prosecutor Neama Rahmani said. “Now that Trump has won, his criminal problems go away.”
