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Jimmy Williams
Former President Donald Trump is attempting to overturn his criminal conviction in New York by referencing a recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity.
Trump’s legal team has asked a state court judge to dismiss the jury’s verdict, which found him guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. This request follows the Supreme Court’s ruling, which outlines when a former president is protected from prosecution.
Trump’s motion, led by attorney Todd Blanche, has already succeeded in delaying his sentencing, initially scheduled for Thursday but now postponed to September 18. The delay allows Judge Juan Merchan more time to consider legal briefs from both sides on the immunity issue. Prosecutors are expected to respond by July 24.
Trump’s attorneys argue that several pieces of evidence presented during his trial, such as private conversations with former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, discussions about his pardon power, and his Twitter posts, should not have been admitted. They claim these instances fall under “core” presidential duties, which the Supreme Court’s new ruling protects from being used in a trial.
Previously, Merchan was not convinced by arguments that Trump was immune from prosecution in this case. However, Trump’s legal team now insists that Merchan must adhere to the Supreme Court’s decision, which was issued over a month after the jury’s guilty verdict.
The guilty verdicts stem from allegations that Trump illegally influenced the 2016 election through a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, who threatened to reveal a past affair. Despite denying any encounter with Daniels, Trump did not testify at his trial.
Trump’s motion also addresses the Supreme Court’s requirement for “presumptive” immunity for other presidential acts unless the government can successfully challenge this presumption. His attorneys argue that the case was politically motivated and unfairly prosecuted by District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.
Blanche criticized the prosecutors for rushing to trial without waiting for the Supreme Court’s guidance on presidential immunity. The defense argues that the trial heavily relied on testimony from Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen and that other testimonies, like those of Hope Hicks, were inappropriately used to support the case.
Additionally, Trump’s attorneys are using the Supreme Court ruling to influence his Florida case regarding the mishandling of classified documents. They have asked a federal judge to pause those proceedings to consider the Supreme Court’s decision. The judge has agreed to review further legal briefings on this matter.
Trump’s legal strategy hinges on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling to challenge the evidence and argue for immunity in his ongoing legal battles.
