Judge Merchan orders adjournment in Dem lawfare case against President-elect Trump

Judge Juan Merchan (Court sketch)
Judge Juan Merchan

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include that prosecutors say the lawfare weaponization wasn’t “adjourned,” but has been delayed.

A controversy has developed over Judge Juan Merchan’s orders regarding the Democrats’ lawfare case, run by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, against President-elect Donald Trump.

Merchan days ago had ordered a delay in case actions, and had told prosecutors to make a recommendation for the next step.

Then the court released a response to an email that cited the “adjournment.”

It came just days after he ordered a delay in the case.

A report by Fox News pointedly noted that the court gave no “explanation” for the decision, stating, “The delayed sentencing came on the same day that District Attorney Alvin Bragg was slated to file a recommendation to Judge Juan Merchan on how to proceed.”

The Fox report shortly later was changed to include that the DA claimed that reports “sentencing for 34 charges had been ‘adjourned’ was incorrect.”

Fox said, “The wire was based on an automated schedule alert sent out by the court that stemmed from a court email from last week saying that all future dates had been stayed, according to the DA’s office.”

“This is a total and definitive victory for President Trump and the American People who elected him in a landslide,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director.

“The Manhattan D.A. has conceded that this Witch Hunt cannot continue. The lawless case is now stayed, and President Trump’s legal team is moving to get it dismissed once and for all.”

Trump’s lawyers have called for the case to be vacated entirely.

“The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in July that presidents should enjoy presumptive immunity from criminal prosecution for most actions taken as president, further complicating the path forward in the New York case,” the Fox report said. “The high court ruled that presidents are entitled to absolute immunity from any actions taken within the scope of ‘core constitutional powers’ as commander-in-chief. A presumption of immunity also applies to other actions taken while holding office, they said.”

Trump has described the case as a politically motivated “witch hunt.”

It was the Gateway Pundit that offered a perspective on the case, pointing out that Merchan has refused three times to excuse himself from the case even though his daughter was working with Democrats during the course of the trial, making money off of the rulings her father was making against Trump in court.

Further, the judge has been confirmed to have given money to Democrat candidates.

The Gateway Pundit added, “President Trump was STILL under a partial gag order in the case at the time. We are still wondering how this could be legal? And why were Republicans not outraged by this criminal lawfare against the party’s presidential candidate?”

The case found Trump convicted, in the leftist Manhattan court, of 34 felony counts of business infractions, after being accused of paying porn star Stephanie Clifford “hush payments” through his then-lawyer Michael Cohen for her to keep quiet about her allegations of an alleged affair.

The 34 counts actually were business recording misdemeanors had they been brought before the statute of limitations expired on them. DA Alvin Bragg said they actually were felonies, and prosecuted Trump on them, because he said the misdemeanors were in pursuit of another unidentified crime.

Stunningly, the judge said the jurors didn’t have to be unanimous for them to convict.

The report explained, “Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged Trump committed fraud because the payment was labeled ‘legal fees.’ This was complete nonsense. No one has ever in history been indicted or convicted for such bogus charges. But we are talking about the cesspool New York and we are talking the communist left.”

The case as one of many that Democrats’ used in their lawfare to target President Trump. Those cases are disintegrating now at various paces, as federal practices do not allow the prosecution of a sitting president, and Trump is to be inaugurated on Jan. 20.

USA Today confirmed the case is “on hold.”

“The sentencing was listed as adjourned on the New York criminal court docket as of Tuesday morning, after Judge Merchan paused all deadlines in the case earlier this month.”

Bob Unruh

Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially. Read more of Bob Unruh's articles here.


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