New York, 22 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) - President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing in his hush money conviction has been delayed indefinitely by the New York judge overseeing the trial.

Judge Juan Merchan said the sentencing hearing planned for Tuesday would not take place in order to allow the lawyers time to submit briefings by an early December deadline. He did not provide a new sentencing date.

Trump's defence team is seeking to have his conviction overturned.

The prosecution wants the verdict to stay, but has shown itself to be open to postponing the sentencing until after Trump's second term in office ends in 2029.

Trump was found guilty in May of illegally concealing $130,000 in hush money payments to a porn actress in order to improve his chances of success in the 2016 presidential election.

The Supreme Court, with its conservative majority of judges, ruled at the beginning of July that Trump enjoys immunity for certain official acts.

The Republican's lawyers are now trying to use this landmark decision to overturn the judgement in the hush money trial.

Prosecutors argue that the crime in question predated Trump's first term as president, meaning he should not enjoy special legal protection and the conviction should not be overturned.

MIA file photo