Democrat-aligned New York Judge Juan Merchan is moving to adjourn his court without handing down a sentence for President-elect Donald J. Trump over his guilty verdict on 34 courts of business records fraud. However, the verdict and sentencing have been thrown into limbo by the U.S. Supreme Court’s subsequent ruling regarding presidential immunity as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case was in part reliant on documents and testimony from Trump’s White House staff.
Merchan’s decision means that while Trump will not be sentenced in the near future, he could still receive a prison sentence after leaving office in four years. Additionally, adjourning before sentencing means that the President-elect has yet to be convicted of any crimes.
The decision by the New York judge ultimately appears to be an admission that the prosecution and trial were less about justice and more about politics—with the hope of undermining Trump’s bid to retake the White House. Despite the lawfare campaign against him at the federal and state levels, Trump won a landslide victory in the 2024 presidential race. The overwhelming voter support has prompted several top Republican and Democrat legal figures to call on the U.S. Department of Justice and District Attorneys Alvin Bragg and Fani Willis to end the legal proceedings against Trump.