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New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan said on Sept. 6 that he would delay sentencing in former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial until after the 2024 presidential election.
The new date is Nov. 26 instead of Sept. 18. It was initially scheduled for July but got pushed back following motions related to immunity and Merchan’s recusal.
In a letter to Trump’s attorney and the New York District Attorney’s office, Merchan described the court as a “fair, impartial, and apolitical institution” while explaining that it sought to delay sentencing to avoid the appearance of bias.
“The imposition of sentence will be adjourned to avoid any appearance—however unwarranted—that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching Presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate,” he said.
Merchan added that “adjourning decision on the motion and sentencing, if such is required, should dispel any suggestion that the Court will have issued any decision or imposed sentence either to give an advantage to, or to create a disadvantage for, any political party and for any candidate for any office.”
Trump was found guilty in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Merchan had scheduled sentencing for July but postponed the date after the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity.
(Epoch Times) Read more here.
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