The decision is tied to an earlier U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled presidents enjoy ‘presumptive immunity’ in relation to official acts.
President-elect Donald Trump does not have immunity in the falsified business records case in New York, Judge Juan Merchan ruled in a decision on Dec. 16.
The conduct described by the 34 felony counts of which Trump was convicted earlier this year is related “entirely to unofficial conduct entitled to no immunity protections,” Merchan wrote.
The decision, coming in the wake of Trump’s sweeping victory in the 2024 presidential election, is tied to a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this year that reaffirmed the longstanding precedent that official presidential conduct enjoys “presumptive immunity” from criminal prosecution.
The Supreme Court’s decision forced Merchan to determine whether the charges were presumptively immune under the law.
This is a developing story and will be updated.