President-elect Donald Trump argued that his presidential immunity should protect him from the indictment and verdict in his falsified documents case.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has postponed his decision on Trump’s immunity arguments in the case.
Merchan informed Trump’s legal team on Nov. 12 that he would delay his ruling until Nov. 19, just before Trump’s scheduled sentencing.
The decision came shortly after Trump’s win in the 2024 presidential election.
Trump’s lawyers cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Trump v. United States, which established varying levels of criminal immunity for presidents, as grounds to dismiss the indictment and verdict.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg countered Trump’s arguments in July, stating that Trump had delayed raising some immunity claims too late. Additionally, a federal judge had determined that the alleged payment to Stephanie Clifford was outside the scope of a president’s official duties.
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Bragg’s office highlighted a section of Hellerstein’s opinion that criticized Trump’s conduct post-inauguration.
Hellerstein stated, “Reimbursing Cohen for advancing hush money to Stephanie Clifford cannot be considered the performance of a constitutional duty. Falsifying business records to hide such reimbursement, and to transform the reimbursement into a business expense for Trump and income to Cohen, likewise does not relate to a presidential duty.”
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
