New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan delayed the sentencing of former United States President Donald Trump in the case related to alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Merchan said he made the decision to delay the sentencing to "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."
Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records linked to the payments to keep Daniels quiet about their alleged encounters. He was set to receive his sentence on September 18, but Merchan postponed the sentencing after Trump's lawyers argued it would be inappropriate for the sentencing to take place after early voting in the election begins and added Trump's legal challenges to the conviction should be sorted before the sentencing.
