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.
Is this another setup for Trump?