For some time now the Left has been salivating over the prospect that New York judge Juan Merchan would jail Donald Trump on September 18, before the election. Reports were that a cell in Riker’s was being readied for him and even that he’d be denied Secret Service protection (such as it is) while incarcerated. Not going to happen. The week stated off badly for Manhattan District attorney Alvin Bragg, the prosecutor of that case, when on a hidden camera Nicholas Biase, Bragg’s chief spokesman said, “Honestly, I think the case is nonsense.” (When the video by Steven Crowder’s operative was made public, he claimed he denied he meant it, that he was just trying to impress the woman who taped him so she’d go on a date with him.) Of course, the case contending it was felonious for the way money paid to “hush” Stormy Daniels was reported is, in fact, nonsense. A few days later, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik filed an official ethics complaint against Judge Merchan for refusing to recuse himself despite “his family’s increased financial ties” to the proceedings (His daughter has garnered millions of dollars fundraising on behalf of Kamala Harris.)

That same day Merchan announced he is delaying sentencing until November 26 -- that is, after the election. Because of a need to respond on September 16 to another matter, Trump’s attorneys asked for a delay. Bragg’s office deferred to the Court -- that is, they did not object to any delay, and by letter Merchan responded to Trump’s counsel indicating he’d delay imposition to avoid any appearance “that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the defendant is a candidate.” (Where would anyone have gotten that impression?) He ordered sentencing adjourned until after hearing Trump’s lawyers’ arguments in November on presidential immunity: “Unfortunately, we are now at a place in time that is fraught with complexities rendering the requirements of a sentencing hearing, should one be necessary, difficult to execute,” the judge said. Trump responded in a Truth Social post, "there should be no ‘if necessary,” indicating the case should be “rightfully terminated.”

The case in D.C. before the........

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