A New York judge has confirmed the guilty verdict in the hush money case involving President-elect Donald Trump, despite ongoing discussions about presidential immunity.
What Happened: Judge Juan Merchan endorsed the jury’s decision on Thursday, marking Trump as a felon. This ruling follows Trump’s recent electoral triumph over Vice President Kamala Harris. The judge has not yet made a decision on Trump’s request to dismiss the case entirely, given his president-elect status, reported The Hill.
Trump’s legal team maintained that the evidence presented during his seven-week trial was shielded by the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity doctrine. This doctrine asserts that former presidents have total immunity from criminal prosecution for exercising core constitutional powers and presumptive immunity for other official acts.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg refuted these claims, stating that no evidence presented to the jury was protected. He further contended that even if it was, it was inconsequential compared to the “overwhelming evidence of defendant’s guilt.”
Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors portrayed this as an attempt to unlawfully influence the election’s outcome.
The judge’s decision on whether to halt the proceedings during Trump’s term is still pending. Meanwhile, Trump’s other criminal proceedings have not been as successful following his presidential win.
Why It Matters: The Supreme Court had previously ruled that Trump and former presidents are entitled to immunity for acts within their Constitutional authority while in office, but not unofficial acts.
Trump’s attempt to move his hush money criminal case to federal court was denied due to a lack of “good cause”, according to a previous report. The sentencing for Trump’s hush money trial was postponed until after the 2024 presidential election to avoid any potential influence on the election.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal
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