President-elect Donald Trump’s six years New York criminal odyssey may have to continue for at least four more, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Attorney for the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, wrote in a letter to Justice Juan Merchan that Trump should not be punished for his crimes until the end of his second term. That will be in 2029, more than a decade after the investigation into Trump’s “hush money” payments began.
“Because it is necessary to balance the competing constitutional interests, consideration should be given to various non-dissolution options that can solve any problems caused by the suspension of post-trial criminal proceedings during the presidency, such as the suspension of all pending criminal proceedings until after. the end of the upcoming presidential term,” the filing said.
Merchan already scheduled to rule on Nov. 12 on whether presidential immunity should prevent jurors from seeing certain evidence in Trump’s trial this spring, but he delayed his decision. Merchan said he wants to hear from prosecutors about how to proceed with the case, which entered uncharted territory when Trump was re-elected president.
Trump is the first person in American history to win the presidency after being convicted of a crime. He is also a former first president face trial for the Crime.
Trump promised a few minutes after a The jury unanimously found him guilty of felonies in May to fight conviction. Weeks later, the The Supreme Court ruled that the former president is not immune from prosecution for official acts and evidence related to Trump’s work as president cannot be used in court.
Trump’s lawyers objected the Supreme Court ruling means that the conviction must be set asideand his sentence was overturned. He said jurors heard testimony from former White House staffers that should have been off limits during the trial. The legal team is led by Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, whom Trump said he will nominate next year to senior posts in the US Justice Department.
Bragg’s office contended that the material protested by the Trump team was a “mountain of evidence” that the jury considered — being small doesn’t mean it overturns the jury’s decision.
The jury found that Trump committed 34 crimesespecially by authorizing the plan to hide reimbursement for Michael Cohenformer lawyer and fixer. Cohen paid $130,000 for the adult movie star Stormy Danielsdays before the 2016 presidential election, in exchange for keeping quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. These payments are often referred to as “hush money” payments.
Trump has insisted he is not guilty of falsifying business records — a charge he is guilty of — and has denied Daniels’ story.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, then headed by Cyrus Vance Jr., began investigating the “hush money” deal in 2018. It soon became an expansive investigation into Trump’s finances. Trump attacked the investigation during his first presidency, fighting a subpoena to the Supreme Court, which in a landmark 2020 decision allowed the office to obtain Trump’s tax returns.
When Bragg took office in 2022, he scaled back the investigation, refocusing on “quiet money” deals. A grand jury indicted Trump on March 31, 2023 and his trial began in April of this year.
The seven-week trial ended in conviction. The jury deliberated for less than two days.
After hearing the 34th guilty plea, Trump turned around, briefly held his son Eric’s hand, and left the courtroom.
Prosecutors were still packing their bags as Trump’s voice could be heard from outside the door.
He dismissed the case, and campaigned to return to the White House.
