Former President Donald Trump is gearing up for a crucial week as he navigates various legal challenges stemming from multiple criminal charges.
While campaigning for a second term in the White House, Trump faces numerous felony counts, despite his insistence on his innocence. One of the significant cases relates to allegations of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, which has a hearing set for later this week. This comes after a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity issued in July, and the judge will discuss how to proceed in light of that decision.
Trump is also trying to delay his sentencing for a hush money conviction from May, but it’s unclear if the judge will agree to that request. Here’s a closer look at his legal situation this week.
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Update on the Election Subversion Case
Last week, the Justice Department updated the charges against Trump regarding his alleged attempts to subvert the election, following the Supreme Court’s ruling about presidential protection from prosecution for official acts. The revised indictment claims Trump was acting as a candidate during the election interference, particularly regarding the January 6 Capitol incident.
A status hearing has been scheduled for Thursday with U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to discuss the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling. The recent changes might further delay the process, as Trump explores multiple avenues for appealing the charges.
Both parties submitted a joint status report recently, although they disagree on how to move forward. While Trump’s legal team discussed potential motions to dismiss the charges, prosecutors requested an expedited review regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling and its effect on the indictment.
Next Steps for the Hush Money Case
In New York, Trump is pushing to revisit his hush money conviction, where he was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign.
His team sought to transfer the case to federal court, but this was swiftly denied by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein due to improper filing. Trump’s campaign is working to resubmit the request correctly.
Additionally, Trump has requested an indefinite postponement of his sentencing, scheduled for September 18, as he waits for a federal court to weigh in. Meanwhile, Judge Juan Merchan is set to rule on Trump’s request to overturn his conviction based on the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling, which is also due on September 16.
Trump’s lawyers stated last week, “There is no good reason to sentence President Trump before November 5, 2024, or to rush the post-trial proceedings.”
As of now, Judge Merchan has not responded to these requests.