Will Trump’s hush money conviction be upheld? Judge will rule today

A gut punch for most defendants, Donald Trump turned his criminal conviction into a rallying cry. His supporters put “I’m Voting for the Felon” on T-shirts, hats and lawn signs.

“The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people,” Trump proclaimed after his conviction in New York last spring on 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Now, just a week after Trump’s resounding election victory, a Manhattan judge is poised to decide whether to uphold the hush money verdict or dismiss it because of a U.S. Supreme Court decision in July that gave presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution.

Judge Juan M. Merchan has said he will issue a written opinion today on Trump’s request to toss his conviction and either order a new trial or dismiss the indictment entirely.

Merchan had been expected to rule in September, but put it off “to avoid any appearance” he was trying to sway the election. His decision could be on ice again if Trump takes other steps to delay or end the case.

If the judge upholds the verdict, the case would be on track for  sentencing Nov. 26 — though that could shift or vanish depending on appeals or other legal maneuvers.

Trump’s lawyers have been fighting for months to reverse his conviction, which involved efforts to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels, whose affair allegations threatened to disrupt his 2016 campaign.

Trump denies her claim, maintains he did nothing wrong and has decried the verdict as a “rigged, disgraceful” result of a politically motivated “witch hunt” meant to harm his campaign.

The Supreme Court’s ruling gives former presidents immunity from prosecution for official acts — things they do as part of their job as president — and bars prosecutors from using evidence of official acts in trying to prove that purely personal conduct violated the law.

Trump was a private citizen — campaigning for president, but neither elected nor sworn in — when his then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels in October 2016.

But Trump was president when Cohen was reimbursed, and Cohen testified that they discussed the repayment arrangement in the Oval Office. Those reimbursements, jurors found, were falsely logged in Trump’s records as legal expenses.

Trump’s lawyers contend the Manhattan district attorney’s office “tainted” the case with evidence — including testimony about Trump’s first term as president — that shouldn’t have been allowed.

Prosecutors maintain that the high court’s ruling provides “no basis for disturbing the jury’s verdict.” Trump’s conviction, they said, involved unofficial acts — personal conduct for which he is not immune.

The Supreme Court didn’t define an official act, leaving that to lower courts. Nor did it make clear how its ruling — which arose from one of Trump’s two federal criminal cases — pertains to state-level cases like Trump’s hush money prosecution.

SportsPlus

Business

Names in the News: People shaping the future of Lake Area business

Local News

Will Trump’s hush money conviction be upheld? Judge will rule today

McNeese Sports

Upset dreams fall short

Local News

Cold front, accompanying showers headed to SW La. Wednesday

Crime

LC man sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking, firearms crimes

McNeese Sports

Rested Cowboys ready for final push

life

PHOTO GALLERY: Lake Arthur Elementary Veterans Day program

Crime

Conviction stands for LC man who raped girlfriend’s 11-year-old daughter

Crime

11/11: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff announces arrest list

Local News

Tax reform, other bills advance in first week of special session

Football

Hobbs column: LSU invents new ways to embarrass itself

Local News

Flash flood watch in effect until 3 pm

Local News

Family donates $150,000 for memorial garden

life

SW La. school lunch menus Nov. 11-15

Local News

‘You’re not alone’: ABC Pregnancy Center helps women feel ‘loved, valued, respected’

Local News

Sulphur High awarded $3.3M for hurricane repairs

Local News

LC woman killed in three-vehicle crash involving off-duty deputy

Local News

Landry’s income tax rate plan advances to House committee

Jim Beam

Jim Beam column:Why did Harris lose the election?

McNeese Sports

McNeese steps up in class

life

PHOTO GALLERY: Veterans Day Parade

Local News

Moss Bluff Middle students honor legacies of service, loyalty to country

Local News

Event helps local veterans connect with resources

Local News

PHOTO GALLERY: Moss Bluff Middle salute to veterans