Judge Juan Merchan has agreed to delay the sentencing hearing in former President Trump’s hush money case after a Supreme Court ruling granted Trump some immunity from prosecution.
In a letter filed on Tuesday, Judge Merchan said the sentencing hearing, originally scheduled for July 11, will now take place no earlier than Sept. 18.
The delay comes just one day after lawyers for the former president asked Judge Merchan to set aside Trump’s conviction and delay his sentencing, citing Monday’s Supreme Court ruling. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court returned lower court rulings and stated that a former president has absolute immunity for his core constitutional powers.
The new date will push the sentencing hearing past the Republican National Convention on July 15 in Milwaukee. That means Trump is expected to be the official GOP presidential nominee before knowing what his punishment will be in the New York hush money case.
Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office filed a letter Tuesday, indicating they would be willing to postpone Trump’s sentencing for up to two weeks.
“Although we do believe the case to be without merit, we do not oppose his request,” prosecutors said in the letter obtained by The Associated Press.
Related story: Supreme Court sends Trump case back to lower court, giving former president limited immunity
In May, a jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first American president to be convicted of a crime. During the six-week trial, prosecutors argued Trump falsified the records to conceal damaging stories, including an alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump faces up to four years behind bars for all 34 Class E felonies — the lowest tier in New York. However, considering he has no prior criminal history, legal experts predict that Merchan could instead sentence Trump to home confinement, probation, community service, or impose fines.
Related story: Big questions that remain after Trump’s guilty verdict
