By Theophilus Oliver
A U.S. judge in President-elect Donald Trump’s criminal case is set to make a decision on Tuesday regarding whether to dismiss his conviction, potentially giving him a significant legal victory as he prepares to be sworn into office.
Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts in May after a jury determined that he had fraudulently manipulated business records to conceal alleged sexual encounters with a porn star before the 2016 election.
Due to be sentenced on November 26, Trump could receive a pardon if Judge Juan Merchan decides to drop the charges, following a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.
This landmark decision saw the court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, rule that a president has immunity from prosecution for a range of official acts committed while in office.
Before the election, Trump’s legal team moved to have the case dismissed in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling, a motion strongly opposed by prosecutors.