Judge Juan Merchan decides whether Donald Trump's sentencing in the Stormy Daniels case will be postponed until after the election

New York judge Juan Merchan is expected to decide on Friday whether the sentencing scheduled for Donald Trump in the Stormy Daniels hush money case will be postponed.

The verdict is scheduled for September 18, almost two months before Election Day. Trump's lawyers want him to postpone the verdict.

The judge, whom Trump repeatedly attacked during the trial, told the parties he would announce his decision on Friday. Trump faces up to four years in prison, although experts predict the first-time offender may not receive any prison time.

Trump's lawyers tried to move the case from Merchan's Manhattan courtroom to federal court, saying Merchan should not be allowed to convict Trump while the case is still pending and claiming a conviction in the fall would amount to “election interference.”

District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has said the judge should decide, but said in a brief that Trump’s complaints about the timing of the proceedings “are a function of his own strategic and dilatory litigation tactics.' A lawyer from Bragg's firm said the decision is expected to be made on Friday.

The high-risk decision comes at a time when Trump, who had scheduled a press conference for Friday, appeared in court in another case in which his latest lawyers are appealing a $5 million verdict in the defamation case against E. Jean Carroll.

Trump's move to appear in Carroll's appeal came a day after he decided not to appear at a court hearing in Washington, DC, on January 6 to discuss the status of his case.

In this case, he had his attorney, John Lauro, deliver his not guilty plea in connection with his attempt to overturn the election.

In the Stormy Daniels hush money case, Trump's team tried twice to delay the verdict.

He was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with bribes to the porn star.

Trump has repeatedly attacked the case, and on Thursday night accused his election rival Kamala Harris of staging it. (Trump had previously accused President Joe Biden of being behind his prosecution.)

Judge Juan Merchan says he will make a decision on whether to postpone the sentencing in the Stormy Daniels case, scheduled for September 18.

The controversy over the sentence follows Trump's conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with Stormy Daniels' $130,000 hush payments.

In another case, Trump and E. Jean Carroll each attended an appeals court hearing where Trump attempted to appeal a $5 million jury verdict.

“This is what various legal scholars and experts, brilliant lawyers and highly respected journalists think about the Manhattan DA Hoax, where the Democrats, led by Comrade Kamala Harris, working directly with the Department of Justice (which they really shouldn't be!), want to put a former President of the United States and the leading presidential candidate in PRISON. This is outrageous, nothing like this has ever happened in our country, and they are doing it in a blatant and illegal attempt to “win” an election that, based on its results, should be “unwinnable,” but I can't talk about it because Judge Merchan has imposed an unconstitutional news blackout on me. Somehow, EVERYTHING will work out – I don't know how, I don't know why, I don't know when, but it always works!”

Although Merchan could impose a prison sentence of up to four years against Trump, legal experts believe a suspended sentence or community service is more likely.