New York City, NY – Former President Donald Trump’s sentencing has been postponed until September by a New York judge, allowing his legal team time to challenge his conviction following a recent Supreme Court ruling. Originally set for July 11, Trump’s sentencing in a hush-money case will now be determined at a later date as his lawyers seek to overturn the verdict in light of the Supreme Court’s decision granting partial immunity to former presidents for their official acts during their time in office.

Justice Juan Merchan has scheduled a decision on the defense’s motions for September 6, with a potential sentencing date of September 18 if needed. This delay comes after a New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in May, marking the first felony conviction of a former U.S. president.

The conviction stemmed from Trump’s involvement in reimbursing his former fixer, Michael Cohen, for hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who alleged an affair with the then-candidate in 2006. The funds were falsely classified as legal expenses to conceal the payment, occurring just before the 2016 election. This case marked the first of Trump’s legal battles to reach trial, with others pending.

After the Supreme Court’s ruling on former presidents’ immunity for official acts, Trump’s legal team moved swiftly to challenge the conviction, citing relevance to events occurring during his presidency. While Trump hailed the delay as “TOTAL EXONERATION!” on social media, legal experts caution that the defense faces an uphill battle in overturning the verdict in the New York case.

Prosecutors argue that Trump’s actions related to the hush-money case constitute unofficial conduct, separate from his official duties as president, making an immunity defense challenging. Despite Trump’s claims of witch hunts and exoneration, the fate of his sentencing remains uncertain pending Justice Merchan’s decision in September.

Legal scholars emphasize the complexity of proving Trump’s actions as official presidential acts, raising doubts about the success of his defense strategy in the ongoing legal battle. As the case progresses, the implications of the postponed sentencing and potential challenge to the conviction loom large over Trump’s legal troubles, with the ultimate resolution still pending.