1. Trump Celebrates Victory, Faces E. Jean Carroll (Again) In Court
In a major court victory for the Trump campaign, New York Judge Juan Merchan delayed the former president’s criminal sentencing until after Election Day. Trump, who was convicted unanimously of all 34 charges in his hush-money case in May, will now face his sentencing on November 26, three weeks after the American people cast their votes.
Merchan, who pushed back the date from September 18 on Friday, claimed he wanted to “avoid any appearance — however unwarranted — that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching Presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate” and preserve the reputation of the court as “a fair, impartial, and apolitical institution.”
Also on Friday, Trump appeared in another New York courtroom to challenge the verdicts in his 2023 civil cases involving E. Jean Carroll. The author of “What Do We Need Men For?”, Carroll has accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a department store in the 1990s and subsequently defaming her while he was president. The court has ordered Trump to pay Carroll $88 million in damages. While Trump’s attempt to overturn the verdict is still pending, the court appeared doubtful of his defense’s arguments.
2. Hunter Pleads Guilty In Shocking Reversal
Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, stunned the world on Thursday when he pleaded guilty to nine federal charges on the first day of his tax case trial in California. According to CCN, “President Joe Biden’s son could now face up to 17 years in prison for his crimes, which include tax evasion, filing fraudulent tax returns and failing to pay taxes. The judge also said he could also impose a hefty fine, perhaps as much as $1.3 million.”
“We were as shocked as everyone else,” the prosecutor reacted when Hunter switched his plea from not guilty to guilty.
The convicted felon’s team claimed he entered a guilty plea to shield his family from the humiliation of a public trial.
“After watching prosecutors who exploit his family’s grief during the Delaware [federal gun] trial and realizing they were planning to do it again in California, Hunter decided to enter his plea to protect those he loves from unnecessary hurt and cruel humiliation,” his lawyer stated.
3. RFK’s Name Removed From Ballot In Two Battleground States
Two weeks ago, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged to withdraw his name from the ballot in several key battleground states, urging his supporters in those states to vote for Trump. On Friday, Kennedy scored two major victories as courts in North Carolina and Michigan, which had previously resisted removing his name, reversed their earlier decisions.
“Some people wouldn’t realize it, so rather than voting for us, they vote for him, and that wouldn’t help us very much, would it?” the former president reacted to the news. “It means that all of those who love Bobby — and there’s a lot of them — and all that he stands for, especially regarding the health and well-being of us, can vote for me now. So all of the Bobby people are going to vote for me.”
Voting, which was supposed to begin in North Carolina on Friday, was postponed to accommodate the shake-up and reprint the ballots.
4. Father of Georgia School Shooter Charged with Murder
Following a tragic school shooting in Georgia on Wednesday, both the accused gunman and his father faced charges in court on Friday. The 14-year-old freshman, who reportedly killed two students and two teachers while injuring nine others, appears to have used an AR-15 his father gifted him for Christmas.
“His father, Colin Gray, 54, who faces murder and manslaughter charges, is accused of allowing his son to have access to the military-style rifle used in the shooting despite knowing ‘he was a threat to himself and others,’” the New York Times reported.
The boy’s maternal grandfather partially blamed Mr. Gray, who can be charged with up to 180 years in prison, for the shooting. “My grandson did what he did because of the environment that he lived in,” he claimed.
