Trump seeks to reverse New York conviction citing Supreme Court immunity ruling

Former President Donald Trump is seeking to overturn his conviction in a New York State criminal case by leveraging a recent Supreme Court decision that grants presidents immunity from federal prosecution for official actions. Trump's attorneys argue that evidence of his official acts should not have been presented at trial. The Manhattan District Attorney's office disagreed with this argument but did not oppose delaying Trump's sentencing, which has been rescheduled to September 18. Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records in an attempt to cover up hush money payments to an adult film star. The Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity has prompted Trump's legal team to request to set aside the guilty verdict and delay sentencing. The case in New York is the only one of four criminal cases against Trump to go to trial. The defense contends that evidence presented at trial, including Trump's social media posts, should have been excluded due to immunity protections for official acts. The Manhattan case focuses on actions taken by Trump as a candidate, not as president. The judge overseeing the case, Juan M. Merchan, has received the letter from Trump's lawyers and is considering the implications of the Supreme Court ruling on the conviction. The Supreme Court's decision extends broad immunity from criminal prosecutions to former presidents for their official conduct. Trump's legal team is seeking to apply this new standard to the Manhattan case. The district attorney's office has not provided a sentencing recommendation yet, and it remains to be seen how the judge will respond to Trump's request to set aside the conviction and delay sentencing.