NEW YORK: The New York judge who presided over Donald Trump’s hush money trial on Friday delayed sentencing until after November’s US presidential election to “avoid any appearance” of impacting the vote. The Republican White House candidate had been scheduled to be sentenced on September 18 for falsifying business records as part of a scheme to silence a porn star who alleged they had a sexual encounter.

Instead, Judge Juan Merchan postponed it to November 26 - well past the November 5 election in which Trump faces Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump said on social media that it was delayed because “everyone realizes that there was no case, I did nothing wrong!” His lawyers had sought the delay and Merchan, in a letter explaining his decision, noted that prosecutors had not expressed opposition to a postponement.

Trump was convicted in May of 34 counts of doctoring business records to cover up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels to stop her from going public on the eve of the 2016 election. He was originally scheduled to be sentenced on July 11 but that was delayed until September after the Supreme Court ruled that an ex-president has broad immunity from criminal prosecution.

Trump’s lawyers asked that his New York conviction be tossed out following the Supreme Court immunity ruling, and Merchan said he would rule on the dismissal motion on Nov 12. In his letter, Merchan noted that Trump had asked for sentencing to be delayed “to avoid the potential ‘politically prejudicial’ impact that a public sentencing could have on him and his prospects in the upcoming election.”

He noted the “unique” nature of the case and said to ensure public confidence in the judiciary, sentencing should be “entirely focused on the verdict of the jury” and not political distractions.

“Their verdict must be respected and addressed in a manner that is not diluted by the enormity of the upcoming presidential election,” he said, adding that “the court is a fair, impartial, and apolitical institution.” Merchan said sentencing would therefore be delayed “to avoid any appearance — however unwarranted — that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the defendant is a candidate.”

Postponing sentencing should “dispel any suggestion that the court will have issued any decision or imposed sentence either to give an advantage to, or to create a disadvantage for, any political party and/or any candidate for any office,” he said. “This is not a decision this court makes lightly but it is the decision which in this court’s view, best advances the interests of justice,” he added.

Trump in theory faces up to four years in prison on each count. However, as a first-time offender, he is considered more likely to receive probation. — AFP