Trump’s hush money case proceedings paused days after his US poll win

A New York state judge has temporarily halted proceedings against Republican President-elect Donald Trump in the already decided criminal case related to hush money paid to an adult star, news agency Reuters reported, citing court documents released on Tuesday.
Judge Juan Merchan had been expected to rule by Tuesday on whether to vacate Trump’s conviction, following a Supreme Court decision in July that addressed presidential immunity. Trump was also scheduled for sentencing on November 26.
Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office requested the delay in an email to Merchan on Sunday, citing Trump’s November 5 US presidential election win and his upcoming inauguration in January 2025.
According to the email, Trump had petitioned the DA’s office to consent to a postponement.
“These are unprecedented circumstances,” the prosecutors stated. In response, Judge Merchan granted the request, pausing all proceedings in the case until November 19.
In May this year, Donald Trump became the first former US President to be convicted of felony crimes after a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to adult actor Stormy Daniels, who claimed that the two had sex.
However, Trump, 78, pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing in the case.
Despite being convicted, Donald Trump clinched an impressive victory against his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the US presidential elections, by winning all seven battleground states. The final victory in Arizona took Trump’s electoral college tally to 312 against 226 of Vice President Harris.
Trump is scheduled to be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025.
The Republican Party has regained control of the Senate, holding 52 seats compared to the Democrats’ 47. In the House of Representatives, Republicans currently lead with 216 seats, while Democrats hold 209.
With the majority threshold at 218, Republicans are optimistic about securing the additional seats needed to maintain a majority.