Donald Trump moves to halt hush money proceedings, sentencing after asking federal court to step in

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers moved Friday to halt proceedings in his New York hush money criminal case and postpone next month’s sentencing indefinitely while he fights to have a federal court intervene and potentially overturn his felony conviction.

In a letter to the judge presiding over the case in state court, Trump’s lawyers asked that he hold off on a decision, slated for Sept. 16, on Trump’s request to overturn the verdict and dismiss the indictment in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent presidential immunity ruling.

Trump’s lawyers also urged the trial judge, Juan M. Merchan, to postpone Trump’s Sept. 18 sentencing indefinitely while the U.S. District Court in Manhattan weighs their request late Thursday that it seize the case from the state court where it was tried.

Trump’s lawyers said delaying the proceedings is the “only appropriate course” as they seek to have the federal court rectify a verdict they say was tainted by violations of the Republican presidential nominee’s constitutional rights and the Supreme Court’s ruling that gives ex-presidents broad protections from prosecution.

If the case is moved to federal court, Trump’s lawyers said they will then seek to have the verdict overturned and the case dismissed on immunity grounds. They previously asked Merchan to delay Trump’s sentencing until after the November election. He hadn’t ruled on that request as of Friday.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«RELATED COVERAGE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true»