New York Judge Postpones Decision on Trump’s Immunity Arguments
Trump argued that, due to presidential immunity, the court should dismiss the indictment and verdict against him.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has postponed a ruling on President-elect Donald Trump’s immunity arguments in his falsified documents case.
As reported by The Associated Press, Merchan informed Trump’s lawyers on November 12, the original decision date, that he will now issue his ruling on November 19, just days before Trump’s scheduled sentencing.
Merchan’s ruling came shortly after Trump’s win in the 2024 presidential election.
Trump’s legal team cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. United States, which granted varying levels of criminal immunity for presidents’ official actions, as the basis for barring specific evidence and witness testimony usage. They requested Merchan to dismiss the verdict and indictment.
In July, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg countered Trump’s immunity arguments by asserting that he delayed bringing up some claims too late. Bragg also mentioned that a federal judge had deemed the alleged payment to Stephanie Clifford outside of a president’s official duties.
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Moreover, Bragg’s office directed Merchan to a part of Hellerstein’s opinion regarding Trump’s actions post-inauguration.
“Reimbursing Cohen for paying hush money to Stephanie Clifford cannot be classified as fulfilling a constitutional duty,” Hellerstein explained. “Furthermore, falsifying business records to conceal such reimbursement, and converting it into a business expense for Trump and income for Cohen, does not pertain to a presidential obligation.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a developing news story and will be regularly updated.
