A New York judge ruled Monday that President-elect Donald Trump’s felony conviction for falsifying business records will not be thrown out, despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision affirming presidential immunity for official acts.
Judge Juan Merchan denied Trump’s legal team’s request to dismiss the 34-count conviction handed down in May, writing in a 41-page decision that the evidence against Trump remains “overwhelming” and unaffected by the Supreme Court ruling.
READ: Trump Announces Lawsuit Against A Gannett Newspaper, Pollster Over Iowa Survey Results
“This Court concludes that if error occurred regarding the introduction of the challenged evidence, such error was harmless in light of the overwhelming evidence of guilt,” Merchan stated. “Even if this Court did find that the disputed evidence constitutes official acts under the auspices of the Trump decision, which it does not, Defendant’s motion is still denied.”
Trump’s lawyers had argued for the dismissal of the case following his November election victory, citing concerns that the conviction would create “unconstitutional impediments” to his ability to govern. In response, Merchan paused all deadlines in the case until December, including Trump’s sentencing.
Additionally, Judge Merchan addressed allegations of potential juror misconduct raised by Trump’s legal team. In a letter obtained by CNN, Merchan noted that while such claims warrant thorough investigation, Trump’s team had not filed a formal motion for dismissal based on the allegations.
“Allegations of juror misconduct should be thoroughly investigated,” Merchan wrote. “However, this Court is prohibited from deciding such claims on the basis of mere hearsay and conjecture. To do so would threaten the safety of the jurors and violate the agreed upon Order Regulating Disclosure of Juror Information.”
READ: Bill Clinton Warns Of ‘War’ On ‘Diversity’ In American Politics
Merchan advised Trump’s attorneys to file the necessary motion if they wished for the court to formally consider their claims.
While Monday’s ruling dismissed the attempt to overturn Trump’s conviction based on the Supreme Court’s immunity decision, Merchan has yet to rule on a separate motion to dismiss the verdict due to Trump’s election as president.
Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments, marking the first felony conviction of a former U.S. president.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.