What happens to Donald Trump’s criminal conviction? Here are a few ways it could go

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport ahead of the first Presidential Debate on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Donald Trump’s election victory created a conundrum for the judge overseeing his criminal case in New York. Can he go ahead and sentence the president-elect, or would doing so potentially get in the way of Trump’s constitutional responsibility to lead the nation?

Court documents made public Tuesday revealed that Judge Juan M. Merchan has effectively put the case on hold until at least Nov. 19 while he and the lawyers on both sides weigh in on what should happen next. Trump’s sentencing had been tentatively scheduled for Nov. 26.

Trump’s lawyers are urging Merchan to act “in the interests of justice” and rip up the verdict, the first criminal conviction of a former and now future U.S. president.