Judge reschedules Trump sentencing after election

A New York justice on Friday agreed to wait until after the election to sentence former President Donald Trump for his criminal business fraud convictions in Manhattan. Acting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan pushed the sentencing from Sept. 18 to Nov. 26 to maintain the integrity of the Nov. 5 presidential election.

What’s the judicial concern for the election? Merchan wrote that he did not make the decision lightly. Postponement, in his view, best advances the interests of justice, given the unique timeframe. He said that the electoral playing field needed to be even for the citizens casting votes. The court wants to remove the concern that a judicial decision could give either political party an advantage or disadvantage, according to the opinion. Merchan decision marks the second delay of Trump’s sentencing after a New York jury in May found the former president guilty of 34 charges of felony business fraud.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg not fighting the idea of a sentencing delay.