Judge Juan Merchan upheld the 34 felony convictions against President Trump. This ruling came after the Supreme Court's decision concerning presidential immunity. In April, Trump was found guilty of making hush payments to Stormy Daniels, through his former attorney Michael Cohen, to cover up their alleged affair and prevent the story from being published. The Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, accused Trump of fraud for labeling the payment as "legal fees. "
Last month, Judge Merchan postponed Trump’s sentencing indefinitely. Trump's legal team had filed several motions to dismiss the case, but the judge rejected Trump's argument that the presidential immunity ruling would allow for the felony conviction to be overturned. However, Merchan has not yet made a decision on whether to dismiss the case entirely.
In the ruling made, Merchan dismissed most of Trump's claims regarding the prosecutors' evidence connecting to official acts that would imply protections under presidential immunity. He stated that even if any evidence related to official conduct were found, it would not impact the case, as the prosecution's focus was on fraudulent actions concerning business records. Merchan noted that any potential error in presenting evidence would be minor compared to the strong evidence supporting Trump's guilt.
Recently, the Supreme Court also declined to lift the gag order imposed on Trump in this case. This was the second occasion where the Supreme Court decided not to intervene and remove the gag order.
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