Trump is one step closer to flushing out all his criminal casespublished at 4:25 PM Greenwich Mean Time

16:25 GMT

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

Donald Trump’s tried-and-true legal delay tactics have won him another reprieve, this time in his criminal case in New York.

Both prosecutors and Trump’s lawyers convinced a judge that they needed more time to weigh the “unprecedented circumstances” before making a decision on his sentencing.

Trump’s re-election has changed everything for his legal battle. His two federal prosecutions are all but guaranteed to end once he assumes the presidency — and control of the U.S. Department of Justice. His Georgia state election interference case will be stayed until he steps down – in 2029.

Now he may be one step closer to wiping out the only case that did go before a jury.

Even Manhattan prosecutors who filed the charges acknowledged they need time to figure out their next steps; they have asked Judge Juan Merchan to submit their opinion by November 19.

Trump’s lawyers are using his election to push even harder for a resignation.

“The suspension and removal are necessary to prevent unconstitutional impediments to President Trump’s ability to govern,” attorney Emil Bove wrote to the court.

Some legal experts find it difficult to imagine that Trump will be convicted before he takes office.

“I think the most likely outcome in the state’s case is that the judge delays sentencing until after Trump is in office,” said Daniel Charles Richman, a professor at Columbia Law School.

“Actually imposing a sentence would raise a number of messy issues in the short term,” including political issues, he said.