President-elect Donald Trump's legal troubles may be coming to an end as he nears the start of his second term.
Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith is already aiming to close both the 2020 election interference case and the classified documents case before Trump takes office. According to the New York Times, Smith is expected to resign before Trump takes office in January.
But Trump's state lawsuit rests on even more dubious grounds.
New York judge grants Trump's request to dismiss indictment, vacates sentence indefinitely
Days after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sent a letter to Judge Juan Marchan asking him to suspend criminal charges related to the hush-money payments until 2029, Judge Marchan decided to file a motion to dismiss Trump's charges. The request was granted and the scheduled sentencing date was removed from the schedule.
“Judge Marchand will decide whether he accepts this as an opportunity to close this case,” former criminal defense attorney Philip Holloway told Fox News Digital shortly after the news broke.
Former President Donald Trump appears in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday, May 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool)
“This is New York's political system disguised as a legal system, so I think politics is definitely factoring in,” Holloway said. “But judges sometimes decide from a tactical standpoint, so basically he said, 'Look, I'm going to give you a chance to get out of this case.'”
Bragg vs. Trump: New York is drowning in crime. How can convicting a former president make us safer?
Gregory Germain, a professor at Syracuse University School of Law, disputed Holloway's claims and told Fox News Digital that the ruling does not indicate what Marchand will ultimately rule on the motion. spoke.
“You can't construe anything that would allow someone to make a claim in court,” Germain said. “Even if we grant Mr. Trump's motion to dismiss, we do not know what decision the court will make on that motion.”
Days after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sent a letter to Judge Juan Marchan asking him to suspend criminal charges related to the hush-money payments until 2029, Judge Marchan decided to file a motion to dismiss Trump's charges. The request was granted and the scheduled sentencing date was removed from the schedule. (AP/Seth Wenig)
Palm Beach County State's Attorney Dave Aronberg echoed Germaine's sentiments, saying Friday's ruling gave Marchand “every opportunity to make his case to the defense.”
He told FOX News Digital that Marchan agreed to delay sentencing, but stopped short of dismissing the case completely and expected sentencing to ultimately be delayed until January. spoke.
“I think the case will continue because the case is already over. The only issue is the sentencing,” Aaronberg said.
Despite their differing views on Trump's hush money lawsuit, Germain and Holloway agreed that Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis' case against Trump for election interference has been dismissed. They agreed that there is a high possibility that
Mr. Trump's team and other defendants had previously asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to hold oral arguments to determine whether Mr. Willis can continue the prosecution. The Court of Appeals on Monday canceled arguments originally scheduled for early December.
Despite their differing positions on Trump's hush-money lawsuit, Germain and Holloway agree that Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis' lawsuit is likely to be dismissed. did. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
“The Court of Appeals has offered no explanation for the cancellation of oral arguments, so those of us who are trying to decipher the tea leaves think that might mean Mr. Willis loses,” Holloway said. spoke. “If the Court of Appeals intends to rule against the appellants, I think it is unlikely that oral argument will be canceled.”
Meanwhile, Aaronberg said he expects Willis to stay on the case and see it through.
“I think there's a pretty good chance she'll be allowed to stay,” Aronberg said. “The issue is that there was a conflict, and now that conflict has been resolved, I think she will probably be allowed to stay.”
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Germain said the case itself has not yet gone to trial and they cannot continue prosecuting it during President Trump's term. “So the best thing they can do is stop the case. ” he said. But Germain said of the two state lawsuits, the Georgia one is “most likely to be dismissed by the court.”
“Even if President Trump had not been elected, the Fulton County case would have taken years to resolve,” Aaronberg said.
