Trump Banks on Immunity Ruling, Asks Judge to Overturn Conviction: 'Institution of The Presidency'

Former President Donald Trump has urged the judge who presided over his New York hush-money trial to toss out his guilty verdict in light of the Supreme Court's recent immunity ruling that spares him from prosecution for official actions. His lawyers argued that the same should also help over-rule the verdict that deemed him a convicted felon earlier this year.

According to NBC News, the Republican leader was scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, July 11, but Judge Juan Merchan postponed it to September 18, 2024, to consider all the legal points before passing the judgment. The 52-page report also details an argument for how District Attorney Alvin Bragg's involvement in the case was seemingly a conflict of interest. It is to be noted that Bragg is a Democrat, which prompted arguments that the trial was politically motivated. 

The filing, which was made public yesterday, also detailed how the Manhattan trial fueled another criminal proceeding in Washington. Judge Merchan is not giving in to any pressure, which he is facing these days due to his judgment by both liberals and conservatives at the moment. Moreover, Trump's legal team pushed two significant testimonies of aides, including that of Hope Hicks, a former communications director in Trump's White House.

Lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote, "Because of the implications for the institution of the presidency, the use of official-acts evidence was a structural error under the federal Constitution that tainted. These transgressions resulted in the type of deeply prejudicial error that strikes at the core of the government’s function," as reported by The New York Times. This makes sense given that Trump has constantly stated that the criminal trials against him are all part of a political vendetta orchestrated by 'crooked' President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.

The lawyers also called upon Merchan to do justice as they argue that he is the only one who "has the authority to address these injustices, and the court is duty-bound to do so in light of the Supreme Court’s decision." The hush-money case revolves around Trump being found guilty on 34 counts which include falsifying business records, after weeks of testimony.

Prosecutors claimed that Trump ahead of the 2016 elections had his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, make a hush money payment to adult film star, Stormy Daniels. Trump however has repeatedly denied the allegations. When Trump's gag order was partially lifted before the first presidential debate on June 27 against President Biden, he reiterated the same. Nonetheless, Trump's quest to set himself free of the shackles of the legal web amid an important political campaign is one of the most unconventional setbacks for any former President in the history of American politics.