Donald Trump’s sentencing has been postponed once more, with a New York judge ruling that the Republican nominee will not be sentenced until after the 2024 presidential election.
Originally scheduled for September 18, the sentencing trial has now been moved to November 26, three weeks after voters head to the polls.
Judge Juan Merchan made the decision on Friday, September 6, granting Trump’s request for a delay. This follows a previous postponement from July to September, which was made to consider whether a Supreme Court ruling would grant Trump broad immunity in this case.
Merchan was initially expected to rule on the immunity issue on September 16, just two days before the sentencing. However, Trump’s legal team argued for more time between the rulings, leading to the latest rescheduling.
The former president was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with alleged hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations and criticized both President Joe Biden and the Department of Justice in the aftermath of his conviction.
Trump faces a potential sentence of up to four years in prison, though the delay means voters will not know if he will serve time behind bars until after the election. It remains unclear how this delay might influence the 2024 election outcome.