Stormy Daniels Case: Justice Suggests Freezing the Procedure Until the End of Donald Trump’s Second Term

New York’s judiciary rejected on Tuesday, December 10, a request to overturn the convictions against Donald Trump, the U.S. president-elect. However, it proposed suspending the criminal proceedings in the Stormy Daniels case until the conclusion of his second term, set for January 2029.

Despite his re-election in November, Donald Trump remains entangled in legal battles. Convicted in the spring of 2024 in this high-profile case, Manhattan prosecutors argue that the proceedings should not impede his presidential responsibilities.

Prosecutor Alvin Bragg strongly opposed the immediate annulment of the unanimous jury verdict. He emphasized that no legal grounds exist to grant immunity to a president-elect or to justify overturning convictions after his inauguration scheduled for January 20.

At the center of this case is a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels, a former adult film actress, allegedly to secure her silence about an affair with Donald Trump. The former president’s legal team had cited a recent presidential pardon granted by Joe Biden to his son, Hunter, as a precedent to request the annulment of the verdict—a motion firmly dismissed by prosecutors.

Manhattan criminal court judge Juan Merchan will now decide whether to approve the proposal to freeze the proceedings. This case highlights the unprecedented challenges at the intersection of legal accountability and presidential duties.