Dear Reader,

Those of you following the criminal case against Donald Trump in Manhattan for falsifying business records may have had September 18 circled on your calendar as the date to watch. That was originally the date on which Trump was to be sentenced.

On Friday, September 6, however, Judge Juan Merchan granted Trump’s request to adjourn the sentencing until after the 2024 presidential election. The DA’s Office all but supported a postponement, outlining for the court many reasons in favor of an adjournment. Faced with what seemed to be an agreement by the parties to hold off on the sentencing, it should therefore not have been surprising that Judge Merchan rescheduled the sentencing for November 26. Sentencing adjournments happen routinely, particularly when the parties agree.

Some, however, have been critical of delaying sentencing. Norman Eisen, for example, wrote on August 20, before Judge Merchan’s decision, that “[t]here is no reason here to divert” from “prompt and orderly administration of justice” and pointed out that “[n]o other defendant would be allowed this pause.” In his view, “Trump should not receive preferential treatment merely because he is a presidential candidate.”