Former US President Donald Trump’s sentence will only be announced after the presidential election.
Judge Juan Merchan gave that message on Friday.
Could this work in Trump’s favor and does this speak for a conviction? Tomas Kvarnkullen, TV4 Nyheternas reporter in the USA, answers three questions.
Will this benefit Donald Trump?
– It is a real success for Donald Trump, who during the various legal processes surrounding him has had as a strategy to try to postpone crucial parts of court proceedings and court decisions until after the presidential election. This is also the second time that Trump’s lawyers have managed to get a new date for the penalty decision, which means that this whole process is now being seriously delayed.
Could the court have been influenced not to give the verdict until after the election?
– What we do know is that the judge in this case, Juan Merchan, specifically mentions the presidential election in his announcement to delay the sentencing decision. He said part of his decision had to do with avoiding speculation that the penalty would be a way to influence the presidential election. So to some extent you could say that the court was influenced, but probably more so by the timing and the fact that the US is soon heading for a very high stakes election.
What can the penalty be?
– It is difficult to say, but legal experts here in the United States have had slightly different views on what the possible penalty could be. Several believe that the evidence that exists and that Trump has previously been unpunished mean that he risks a lighter sentence. But there are also those who speculate about a shorter prison sentence. At the same time, it goes without saying that it would be easier for the judge to decide on a prison sentence after the election, should Trump lose on November 5th. Of course, if he wins, it could get very complicated, but the judge could still decide that the prison sentence will be served later.