New York Judge Juan Merchan has granted President-elect Donald Trump’s request to file a motion to dismiss charges in New York v. Trump and has indefinitely postponed the sentencing originally scheduled for November 26.
Trump’s legal team has until December 2 to submit their dismissal motion, with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg required to respond by December 9.
The decision follows a contentious ‘lawfare’ case in which Trump’s 2020 campaign was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records stemming from a “hush money” investigation.
Trump’s defense team argued the case was politically motivated and undermined the constitutional protections of presidential immunity. George Soros-funded Bragg opposed the dismissal.
Critics and supporters alike have weighed in on the ruling. Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, described it as a “decisive win”. He hailed it as evidence of public support for Trump following his landslide election victory, and that continuing the case would destabilise government during the presidential transition.
