The decision by Justice Juan M. Merchan means voters will be left in the dark about whether the former president will face time behind bars.

The judge overseeing Donald J. Trump’s criminal case in Manhattan postponed his sentencing until after Election Day, a significant victory for the former president as he seeks to overturn his conviction and win back the White House.

In a ruling on Friday, the judge, Juan M. Merchan, rescheduled the sentencing for Nov. 26. He had previously planned to hand down Mr. Trump’s punishment on Sept. 18, just seven weeks before Election Day, when Mr. Trump will face off against Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.

While the decision will avert a courtroom spectacle in the campaign’s final stretch, the delay itself could still affect the election, keeping voters in the dark about whether the Republican presidential nominee will eventually spend time behind bars.

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    • ricecake
      2·
      4 months ago

      Well, I don’t think anyone was saying don’t punish political candidates, least of all me.

      Being cognizant of a political context for an action just doesn’t seem unreasonable to me, even if it’s not how I think it should have played out.

      Whatever sentence is given will have an impact on the political landscape in which that sentence is carried out, which can potentially directly undermine the sentence.