Trump Asks Judge Merchan to Toss Guilty Verdict After Supreme Court Immunity RulingElizabeth Weibel 1 Jul 2024
Former President Donald Trump called for Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw his Manhattan business records trial, to toss his guilty verdict in light of the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling.
The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, ruled on Monday that presidents are covered by limited immunity from criminal prosecutions for official acts taken while in office, however, they do not have immunity for unofficial acts.
In the Supreme Court’s decision, the court held:
Under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority. And he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts. There is no immunity for unofficial acts.
In a letter addressed to Merchan, Trump’s lawyers “sought permission to file a motion” to overturn the guilty verdict, according to the New York Times. At the end of May, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first-degree related to payments made to adult entertainment actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.
Lawyers for the former president have also reportedly asked Merchan to “postpone” Trump’s sentencing, as Merchan takes into consideration if the immunity decision from the Supreme Court has affected Trump’s guilty verdict, according to the outlet.
Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention begins on July 15.
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https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/07/01/trump-asks-judge-merchan-toss-guilty-verdict-supreme-court-immunity-ruling/