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submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by breakfastmtn@lemmy.ca to c/news@lemmy.world

The judge overseeing Donald J. Trump’s criminal case in Manhattan postponed his sentencing until after Election Day, a significant victory for the former president as he seeks to overturn his conviction and win back the White House.

In a ruling on Friday, the judge, Juan M. Merchan, rescheduled the sentencing for Nov. 26. He had previously planned to hand down Mr. Trump’s punishment on Sept. 18, just seven weeks before Election Day, when Mr. Trump will face off against Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.

While the decision will avert a courtroom spectacle in the campaign’s final stretch, the delay itself could still affect the election, keeping voters in the dark about whether the Republican presidential nominee will eventually spend time behind bars.

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[-] ninjabard@lemmy.world 141 points 2 months ago

“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..."

Doubt.

[-] Soup@lemmy.world 62 points 2 months ago

How to advance justice: Delay it.

[-] snooggums@midwest.social 9 points 2 months ago

"Justice delayed is justice guaranteed" as they say.

[-] Soup@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

If he’s already been convicted, what’s the hold up? Like I’m sure yea there’s something we don’t know but normally I get the waiting for them wanting to build a strong body of evidence during the trial, not after a conviction.

[-] FundMECFSResearch 15 points 2 months ago

interests of DJT

[-] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Pathetic. A true insult to every normal person in this country. None of us would ever get this treatment, we'd be thrown in fucking jail.

Fuck this "justice system" the united states has.

[-] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

Seriously, imagine what would happen if he does win the election, and then gets sentences to prison. The magats will flip a shit and say the sitting President is doing it.. which will only end in blood.

[-] ryrybang@lemmy.world 124 points 2 months ago

Fuck this noise. His ass should be in a holding pen awaiting his sentencing. Then maybe he'd want to do it a little sooner. Unfortunately, we continue to keep handling him with the softest, fluffiest, Downy fresh kid gloves.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 40 points 2 months ago

Rich people are immune to consequences.

The Crown Prosecution Service just dropped outstanding charges against Harvey Weinstein this week. He's currently awaiting retrial in NYC, after courts granted him a new opportunity to reverse the 16 year sentence against him. And this was a guy with over 100 sexual assault charges pending, at one point. Very good chance he gets out again soon.

There's a zero percent chance Trump actually sees the inside of a cell. Or Giuliani, for that matter. The courts don't want to prosecute these guys. The jails don't want to hold them. Nobody in power wants anything to do with these social elites. They're untouchable in a way John Gotti (former friend and associate of Mr. Trump) could only dream of.

[-] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 88 points 2 months ago

It doesn't keep the voters in the dark about anything. It further cements the fact that nobody with any power to do so is willing to actually hold Trump accountable for the many crimes he has committed. It has been 4 fucking years since he has been president and 8 fucking years since this specific crime was committed. They should have sentenced him immediately after conviction like any normal convicted criminal. I guarantee if he gets elected he won't get sentenced, so why postpone sentencing?

[-] ricecake@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 months ago

It is actually normal for sentencing to take a while after conviction.

[-] Kyrgizion@lemmy.world 51 points 2 months ago

Everyone going "This is for the best, that way he can't easily appeal" are on lethal doses of copium. This man is never going to see the inside of a prison.

I'm rooting for a blood clot, embolism or aneurysm instead.

[-] Nfamwap@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago

Fuck him, he doesn't deserve a quick way out.

[-] Kyrgizion@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

He doesn't, but how much time would you spend futilely trying to torment the tapeworm inside your intestines before simply swallowing the vermicide and be done with it?

[-] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

He doesn't, but we do deserve to have him gone in an instant.

[-] futatorius@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago

What if you could have that and him in prison too?

[-] JoshuaFalken@lemmy.world 49 points 2 months ago

Not exactly related to this article but, I looked this judge up on Ballotpedia, and found this funny little tidbit.

Judge Merchan handed the Trump Organization a $1.6M fine in that tax case a couple years ago. The District Attorney for Manhattan, Alvin Bragg, said:

"While corporations can’t serve jail time, this consequential conviction and sentencing serves as a reminder to corporations and executives that you cannot defraud tax authorities and get away with it."

What a head of cabbage. As if a couple million dollars is anything to these corporations. These fines need to be double digit percentages of revenue before they get viewed as anything other than a line item on the expense report.

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 43 points 2 months ago

It's a shame this man's right to a speedy trial are being subverted here.

[-] futatorius@lemm.ee 2 points 2 months ago

Defendants can always waive that right.

[-] OhStopYellingAtMe@lemmy.world 33 points 2 months ago

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

[-] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 26 points 2 months ago
[-] criss_cross@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago

Agreed. Fucking cowards.

This entire process is so demoralizing watching a billionaire dodge justice.

[-] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 months ago

He’s not a billionaire, unless you count all his debts.

[-] criss_cross@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Fair. Ex-billionaire :)

[-] cygnus@lemmy.ca 20 points 2 months ago

The intent here is probably to avoid MAGA riots before the election.

[-] ryrybang@lemmy.world 54 points 2 months ago

That's not a very good reason or justification to delay.

If that worries the justice system, then Trump can never be sentenced. He has cult followers for life.

[-] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 months ago

I believe it is a good enough reason to delay sentencing.

Am I happy with it? Ofc not. But I do understand that nobody wants the orange's followers rioting and murdering people in the run-up to the election.

Let the election happen and then all the focus can be on his sentencing (25+ years is my wish).

[-] Steve@communick.news 19 points 2 months ago

Government capitulation to threats or concerns of a violent mob, is always bad idea. It only serves to embolden the mob.

[-] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 months ago

This is, in fact, avoiding the threats and violent mob. And that is not always a bad thing.

Have you never walked away from a confrontation because the cost wasn't worth it?

[-] Steve@communick.news 6 points 2 months ago

Individuals aren't governments. The best choice is almost always quite different for the two.

[-] takeda@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago

Why wait until 2 weeks after election? Just to be sure to not give jail time if he wins?

I'm fucking tired of this two tiered justice system.

[-] squirrelwithnut@lemmy.world 21 points 2 months ago

So, in other words, the courts are bowing to terrorists. Great precedent.

[-] ricecake@sh.itjust.works 13 points 2 months ago

My bet would be that it's to avoid influencing the election rather than riots.

Whichever sentence he gives, it has the potential to make him more likely to win, thereby undermining the sentence.

Personally, I'd like to see justice happen in a way that can be blind to that outside context, but we don't live in that world.

I don't like it, but I get it.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago

it’s to avoid influencing the election

He's already been found guilty and nobody seems to care one way or the other. What's sentencing going to change?

[-] ricecake@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 months ago

A prison sentence looks way more like political suppression than just "guilty but still speaking publicly".

Still don't think it was the right thing to do, but I can see why a judge who has otherwise seemed same and nonpartisan would be inclined to make that choice.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

A prison sentence looks way more like political suppression

He's not getting a prison sentence. The judge in the trial straight up stated he did not want to put Trump in prison during the trial. He'll get a fine, which he'll be able to pay off with kickbacks from his friends, and the it'll be back to business as usual.

I can see why a judge who has otherwise seemed same and nonpartisan

The judge is anything but nonpartisan. He's very obviously conscious of what his career is going to look like under either administration, and he's playing very carefully so as not to overly offend either party leadership.

[-] ricecake@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

I'm unaware of anything the judge has done that strikes me as particularly partisan.

"Not offending either party" is definitely not a partisan act. It's almost the definition of nonpartisan.

I can't fault him overmuch for granting the schedule change, since reading the letter from the prosecution regarding it they do seem to be effectively agreeing that it should be moved. If the defense requests a scheduling change, and the prosecution doesn't object and makes some points about why it might be a good idea so as to "assist the court", it's pretty hard for a judge to deny the request.

https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25050972/2024-08-16-peoples-response-filed.pdf https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25100931/people-v-djt-letter-adjournment-dec-9-6-24.pdf

Do you have a citation for him saying that he didn't want to send him to jail? I feel like I would have heard something like that and the searches don't turn up anything particularly relevant.

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[-] Tudsamfa@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

A few years back, I would have said that they are trying to uphold the image of democracy. "Vote for Harris, a guy you've never heard of or this criminal, your choice" isn't a good look... sad that we ended up here anyway.

Probably also trying to avoid the headache of "what happens when a candidate is sent to prison". That's either going to be a lot of work for you or someone you know higher up, who isn't going to like that paperwork, especially such a high profile case.

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[-] Fedizen@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago

Still treating the orange pervert with kid gloves it looks like.

[-] HonorableScythe@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago

I'm looking at it the other way. He'd probably use it to fundraise and rally his base. Better to delay so he can't juice it.

[-] half_fiction@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 2 months ago

His "tough guy" face is truly hilarious. He did it in his mug shot, too. He's trying sooo fucking hard.

[-] cannibalkitteh 10 points 2 months ago

I just assumed he was shitting his pants.

[-] TheMightyCanuck@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 months ago

Identical to my toddlers pooping face

[-] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago

I thought he was constipated.

[-] nifty@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago

Maybe this will increase voter turnout for people who want to see Trump get sentenced and not avoid his sentence

I've been disappointed each and every time something gets delayed, but at this point I think I'm willing to acknowledge that it is perhaps best for everyone is Trump is sentenced after the election.

If he were to go to jail now you'd never hear the end of it. As though the US was stolen by the radical left, imprisoning political opponents et cetera. Obviously that's not a narrative based in reality, but it would be the prevailing narrative amongst conservatives none the less.

The republicans would fall inline behind someone equally repulsive, if just a tiny bit more electable.

The best way forward for everyone is for him to lose convincingly in November, and then send his ass to proper jail with no twitter or diapers et cetera.

On a prison diet with no prospects he will become frail and irrelevant in a matter of weeks. Even his own children wouldn't bother to visit because jail is icky and their bread is already buttered really. It's the outcome he deserves and I would very much like to see it.

This is the only way the republican party would dial back the weirdness.

[-] futatorius@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago

This is the only way the republican party would dial back the weirdness.

Completely collapsing as a party is another option, which in my mind leads to a better outcome.

[-] futatorius@lemm.ee 7 points 2 months ago

So what happens if he's elected but is incarcerated at the time of his inauguration?

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this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2024
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