The Daily Fuckup

A New York judge on Friday postponed Donald Trump’s hush-money sentencing and set a schedule for the parties to brief what should happen next in the case. The order leaves the conviction intact for now and pushes the November 26 sentencing date off the calendar. ([nycourts.gov](https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/People%20v.%20DJT%2011-22-24%20Order.pdf))

Judge Juan Merchan granted Trump leave to file a motion to dismiss, set deadlines for both sides’ filings, and agreed to hold the sentencing in abeyance while those papers are reviewed. Trump’s motion is due by December 2, and prosecutors’ response is due by December 9. The judge also stayed decision on a separate post-trial motion pending the briefing schedule. ([nycourts.gov](https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/People%20v.%20DJT%2011-22-24%20Order.pdf))

The move does not vacate the jury’s verdict or dispose of the case. Trump was convicted in May of falsifying business records in connection with reimbursements tied to hush-money payments made before the 2016 election. Friday’s order simply changes the timing and posture of the case while the court weighs the new motions now on deck. ([ww2.nycourts.gov](https://ww2.nycourts.gov/people-v-donald-j-trump-criminal-37026))

The timing matters because Trump is now president-elect, with his inauguration set for January 20, 2025. In a filing earlier this week, Manhattan prosecutors said that new status raises unusual questions but argued that it does not automatically require dismissal of the case. They asked the court to set a motion schedule instead, and Merchan did that. ([nycourts.gov](https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/districtattorney_111924.pdf))

For now, the practical result is simple: sentencing is delayed, the conviction stands, and the case moves into another round of briefing over how — or whether — it should proceed while Trump prepares to return to the White House as president-elect. ([nycourts.gov](https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/People%20v.%20DJT%2011-22-24%20Order.pdf))