Judge Merchan adds new key dates for Trump and Stormy Daniels case

In parallel with the 2024 presidential race, the Donald Trump judicial novel continues to add new chapters. This time, Judge Juan Merchan added some important dates in the case of the former president and Stormy Daniels, for which Trump was already convicted mid-year.

While the magistrate clarified that the sentencing hearing remains intact for Sept. 18, he made some decisions regarding other important dates.

Through a letter sent to Trump's legal team and the Manhattan district attorney's office, Merchan communicated that he would decide on the motion filed by the former president for the judge to recuse himself from the case on Monday, Aug. 12. So far, motions of the style filed by the defense have been rejected, both by the judge and by a state appeals court.

In turn, he advised the parties that he will rule on Sept. 16, just two days before sentencing, on a recent filing made by Trump's lawyers, who argue that certain social media posts cited as evidence should now be covered by the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity from official acts.

"Please note, the court appearance scheduled for September 18, 2024, at 10 A.M. remains unchanged. We will proceed on that date and time to the imposition of sentence or other proceedings as appropriate. Please keep these dates in mind if you still wish to file a pre-sentence recommendation," Merchan wrote in the missive.

In late May, Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records. Just minutes after the jury's decision was known, who found the former president guilty of each and every one of the charges brought against him by prosecutor Bragg, the former president expressed himself on social networks. 

"This was a trial rigged by a conflicted and corrupt judge. The real verdict is going to be on Nov. 5 by the people, and they know what happened here," he said at the time.