Former President Donald Trump is in the news again because of something very unusual. He used to be the president of the United States, but now he is in trouble with the law. A jury found him guilty of 34 serious crimes.
These crimes involve something called “hush money,” which means paying someone to keep quiet about something that could be harmful. In this case, it was about a payment to a woman named Stormy Daniels, who is an adult film actress. This payment was made before the 2016 election to keep people from hearing bad things about Trump.
Now, Trump is asking a judge named Juan Merchan to delay his punishment. He doesn’t want to be sentenced until after the next presidential election in November 2024.
According to a report by CNN on Monday, August 19, 2024, Trump’s lawyers, led by a man named Todd Blanche, say that sentencing Trump before the election would be unfair and could mess up the election. They think it could be seen as trying to influence the election in a bad way.
This request from Trump’s team has made a lot of people talk. Some people think it’s just another way for Trump to try to get out of trouble. Others think he has a point and that it might be fairer to wait until after the election.
Trump was found guilty back in May 2024. The charges against him are very serious because they are felonies, which are big crimes.
The crimes involve him making fake business records to cover up the payment to Stormy Daniels. This is a big deal because it’s the first time a former president has been convicted of a crime.
What makes this situation even more interesting is that Trump’s team had already tried to get Judge Merchan removed from the case.
They said the judge might not be fair because his daughter works as a political consultant for Democrats. But the judge didn’t agree to step down. Now, Trump’s lawyers are saying that if the judge delays the sentencing, it would make things more fair.
Some people who know a lot about the law think Trump is trying to buy time. They say he might be hoping for a decision on September 16 that could throw out the guilty verdict. report from Reuters.
Others believe Trump just wants to avoid looking bad so close to the election. His supporters think this case is unfair and say that delaying the sentencing would make the election more fair.
The people who are trying to get Trump in trouble, like the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, haven’t said much about Trump’s latest request. Everyone is waiting to see what they will do.
If Trump’s request is approved, it could mean his sentencing gets pushed to 2025. This would be after the election, and if Trump wins the presidency again, it could cause a big problem.
The United States would have to figure out how to deal with a president who has been convicted of a crime.
This whole situation is really important because it’s about more than just Trump. It’s about making sure that everyone, even powerful people, has to follow the law. It’s also about making sure that our elections are fair and that the legal system works the way it’s supposed to.
No matter what happens next, this case will have a big impact on the future of the country. People will be talking about it and thinking about what it means for a long time.