The Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity does not change the verdict's validity, according to Judge Juan Merchan.
But the final word is far from being said. The question may ultimately end up in the Supreme Court for a decision.
The incoming President Trump was convicted last spring, by a unanimous jury, of being guilty on all 34 points listed by the prosecutors in the case in New York. The core of the case was that he had ensured that money was paid to Daniels to keep quiet about their sexual encounter several years earlier, during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump denies the crime and having had sex with Daniels.
However, he has not received any punishment yet, and the prosecutors have stated that they are willing to agree to postpone the sentencing for four years, over the term of office Trump begins on January 20, following his election victory over Kamala Harris in November. The judge has also suggested waiting to announce the sentence.
Trump's lawyers argue that their client, as a result of the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity, a month after Trump's conviction, can no longer be punished and that the verdict contradicts the Supreme Court's decision. They point out that some evidence in the case is from the time of his first term as president, 2017-2021.
