Manhattan prosecutors suggest delaying Trump's sentencing

But they reject President-elect's request to dismiss conviction in sex scandal case

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Manhattan prosecutors on Nov. 19 rebuffed President-elect Donald Trump's request to dismiss his criminal conviction in the wake of his electoral victory, signaling instead their willingness to freeze the case while he holds office.

In a letter to the judge overseeing the case, prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office emphasized that a jury had convicted Trump of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal. Prosecutors and judges are often loath to unravel a jury's verdict.

But acknowledging the unprecedented nature of the case — Trump would be the first felon to serve as president — prosecutors raised the prospect of a four-year freeze so that he will not be sentenced for his crimes until he is out of office.

The judge, Justice Juan Merchan, will decide in the coming weeks whether to freeze the case or dismiss it outright, a momentous ruling that will shape the outcome of the only one of Trump's four criminal cases that made it to trial. Dismissing the case would further embolden Trump as he enters his second presidential term, solidifying an aura of invincibility around him.

In their letter, prosecutors spoke out against a dismissal, urging the judge to balance the interests of the presidency with "the integrity of the criminal justice system".