Donald Trump’s lawyers urge judge to ignore prosecutors and dismiss hush money conviction

NEW YORK (AP) The president-elect’s attorneys urged a court to disregard them and wrap up the case before he takes office in January, a day after New York prosecutors declared they will oppose attempts to have Donald Trump’s shush money conviction overturned.

In a letter to Judge Juan M. Merchan on Wednesday, Trump’s attorneys reiterated their claims from the election, arguing that pursuing the lawsuit would hinder Trump’s ability to govern the nation and his plans to return to the White House.

After Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team is likely to reveal the next steps it plans to take in two federal cases against Trump, the attorneys, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, said they will file paperwork formalizing their dismissal request and urged Merchan for a deadline of December 20.

Blanche and Bove pleaded with Merchan to follow the wishes of the people who put Trump back in office, not the advice of prosecutors, who are frequently referred to as speaking for the People of the State of New York in court documents and petitions.

They warned that if what they considered to be a politically driven and gravely flawed case is not sent out immediately, it will result in lengthy appeals that span Trump’s second term.

Blanche and Bove noted that the mandate issued by the Nation’s People on November 5, 2024, takes precedence over the reasons of the district attorney’s people. This case needs to be dropped right away.

Both Blanche and Bove have been appointed by Trump to senior positions in the Justice Department.

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In May, Trump was found guilty of fabricating financial documents to conceal a plot to sway the 2016 election by using hush money to silence a report of extramarital sex. Trump refutes the accusations.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office stated in a court filing on Tuesday that it is against any attempt to have Trump’s case dismissed, but it is amenable to the possibility of postponing his sentence until after his second term.

The office of D.A. Alvin Bragg stated that the imminence of Trump’s presidency does not justify dismissing a case that has already been determined by a jury.

However, prosecutors suggested that the case should be paused and Trump’s punishment postponed until after his departure from office, citing the necessity to balance conflicting constitutional interests.

In their filing, prosecutors want an even faster timeline than the defense to resolve the dismissal dispute. They recommended that the defense provide its response by December 9 by filing its documentation within the following week or two.

Merchan has not stated when he will take power or established a timeline.

The matter is essentially on hold in the interim. Trump’s sentence, which was supposed to take place on November 26, will not proceed as planned.

Trump’s conviction, the first of a former and now-future US president, would be erased if he were dismissed. Trump may face penalties ranging from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison if the conviction is upheld and the case moves forward to sentence.

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This article was written by Eric Tucker of the Associated Press in Washington.

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