Prosecutors who secured a historic criminal conviction of Donald Trump signaled Tuesday they would accept a new delay for sentencing, as the judge deliberated how best to proceed against the US president-elect. Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts in May after a jury found he had fraudulently manipulated business records to cover up an alleged sexual encounter with porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Judge Juan Merchan was widely expected to rule Tuesday on how to proceed with the case following Trump's election win, and his decision could now come at any time.
The options open to the justice include an outright dismissal, an indefinite delay to sentencing, or the imposition of punishment before inauguration day. He could also order a retrial for a future date. Trump is slated to be sentenced on November 26, but his legal team's efforts to have the conviction thrown out will almost certainly see that date pushed back -- or scrapped altogether.
His lawyers have argued that a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, that US presidents have sweeping immunity from prosecution for a range of official acts committed while in office applies in the hush money case. Ahead of the election, Trump's team moved to have the case thrown out in light of the Supreme Court decision, a move which prosecutors continue to reject. However prosecutors on Tuesday said that "consideration must be given to various.
.. options" other than throwing out t.
