The Blubber

The Manhattan District Attorney clarified on Tuesday that a Bloomberg report claiming Donald Trump’s sentencing for 34 criminal charges had been “adjourned” was incorrect. According to the DA's office, the report was based on an automated schedule alert triggered by a court email last week indicating that all future dates had been stayed.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg is expected to submit a recommendation to Judge Juan Merchan on how to proceed. Judge Merchan has several options: he could delay Trump’s sentencing until after his presidency, dismiss the conviction entirely, or grant an unconditional discharge. The latter would uphold the conviction but exempt Trump from prison time, fines, or probation.

Trump was convicted in May by a Manhattan jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The charges carried a potential maximum sentence of up to four years in prison. However, Trump’s victory in the presidential race has created uncertainty around the timeline for court proceedings.

Earlier this month, Judge Merchan granted prosecutors’ request to stay all deadlines related to the case, including a planned sentencing date of November 26, citing the “unprecedented circumstances” of Trump’s election as president.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, in the stay request, noted that the delay would allow time to evaluate the implications of Trump’s election. Trump’s legal team, which has been advocating for the charges to be vacated entirely, supported the stay.

Further complicating the matter, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in July that sitting presidents are presumptively immune from criminal prosecution for most actions taken while in office. This ruling has added another layer of complexity to the New York case and its resolution.