Criminal cases against Trump could be nixed after election victory
Multiple criminal cases against President-elect Donald Trump potentially could be nixed all together thanks to his victory over his Democrat rival Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Among the different branches of a years-long “lawfare” war against Trump, earlier this year he was convicted on 34 counts of falsification of business records in the first degree, a felony in the state of New York. The convictions came when a $130,000 “hush money” payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels was allegedly made by Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen, who attempted to hide the payment, in 2016.
He faced a potential prison sentence of up to four years.
However, the cases could be dropped after NBC News reported Justice Department officials have begun to evaluate how they would undo the two federal cases against Trump. This is something they must do in order for the department to comply with its policies that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told NBC News the election victory indicates Americans have had enough of the justice system being used against them.
“Americans want an immediate end to the weaponization of our justice system,” Cheung said.
The Daily Wire further reported the Department of Justice is removing Jack Smith as special counsel.
DOJ Getting Rid Of Jack Smith Before Trump Takes Office, Dropping Federal Cases https://t.co/U0kLMT2wvz
— Karren H Willard (@KarrenWillard) November 7, 2024
Sentencing is scheduled in New York on November 26, and according to the New York Post, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan could dismiss the case or at least freeze it until after Trump has carried out his term because the Constitution bars the president from being restricted from carrying out his duties.
Donald Trump Jr. told Fox News the Democrats’ call for unity in the wake of his father’s victory seems hollow after they used various departments, including the Justice Department, as weapons.
“The Democrats are calling for a unity message, but that unity message they’ve been calling for for the last few decades, it never really meant anything. It always felt rather shallow given that they did weaponize the Justice Department.”
He added the American people had been witnessing the “nonsense” from Democrats during his father’s presidency, and after.
“The weaponization of these departments was absolutely disgusting and honestly, I think it played well with the American people. After years of watching this, they still elected my father. Overwhelmingly,” Trump Jr. said.
“After years of watching this, they still elected my father overwhelmingly with a mandate.”@DonaldJTrumpJr tells @foxandfriends Democrats’ attempts to “weaponize” the Department of Justice against his father failed and turned the election in President-elect Trump’s favor. pic.twitter.com/umtZaW3ErR
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 7, 2024
Mainstream media pundits are not happy about the case potentially being dropped, however, with CNN’s chief legal affair correspondent Paula Reid telling Jake Tapper that Trump’s legal team will “try to get things delayed.”
“I’m told his legal team is going to try to make sure that sentencing never happens. As we know, their usual strategy is always to try to get things delayed,” Reid said, adding Trump’s legal team will argue he is entitled to the same constitutional protections as a sitting president.
“The judge overseeing that case, Judge Juan Merchan, he’s given himself a deadline of November 12, to decide if the conviction against Trump should be tossed based on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on immunity. If he tosses the conviction, there will be no sentencing,” Reid said.
Paula Reid: “Judge Juan Merchan, he’s given himself a deadline of November 12 to decide if the conviction against Trump should be tossed based on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on immunity.” pic.twitter.com/RSF0E33gyP
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) November 7, 2024
In the case before Merchan, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg took claims about Trump’s business that would have been misdemeanors had they been charged before the statute of limitations expired.
Bragg then claimed they still were valid charges, and felonies at that, because of some other, unspecified crime.
Merchan, whose daughter was promoting Democrats while her father was ruling against Trump in the courtroom, then uniquely said the jurors didn’t have to agree on elements of the crime in order to convict.