The criminal case involving former President Donald Trump, overseen by a New York judge, will proceed as scheduled with a sentencing hearing set for September 18, 2024 at 10 A.M. The judge emphasized that there will be no changes to the date and time of the hearing. Participants are reminded to consider these dates if they intend to submit a pre-sentence recommendation.
Trump was recently convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made during his 2016 presidential campaign. The payments, authorized by Trump, were directed to adult film performer Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, in an effort to keep her silent about an alleged affair.
During the trial, both Daniels and Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified. Trump had been under a gag order, and his attorneys had sought to have it lifted to allow him to comment on witnesses. The order was partially lifted in late June, granting Trump limited freedom to speak about the trial proceedings.
The court did not provide a specific explanation for the denial of the petition, given in a brief, unsigned order. However, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito expressed their support for granting the motion to file the bill of complaint.
New York Attorney General Letitia James opposed the petition, arguing that Missouri lacked the legal standing to bring the case. Consequently, the gag order preventing Trump from speaking about prosecutors, court staff, and their families remains in place.
Although facing cases in various jurisdictions, Trump has pleaded not guilty in all of them. However, two of the cases are currently stalled. Last month, a federal judge in Florida dismissed a federal classified documents case against Trump, citing improper appointment of the special counsel. In Georgia, the state’s court of appeals agreed to consider Trump’s petition, along with his co-defendants, to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis until after the November election. Willis’s office had accused Trump and several others of election interference and related charges.
In a separate case being overseen by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, a hearing has been scheduled for August 16. Trump’s motion to dismiss the case on statutory grounds was denied. This case, similar to the others, accuses Trump of election crimes and had been on hold due to an ongoing appeal.