New York judge pauses Trump's hush money proceedings, Steve Bannon back in court, prosecutor joins firm that spurred Girardi downfall and more??

?? Good morning from The Legal File! Here is the rundown of today's top legal news:

??? New York judge pauses proceedings in Trump hush money case

A New York state judge has paused proceedings in president-elect Donald Trump's already-decided criminal case on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, a document made public showed.

The judge, Juan Merchan, had been set to decide by today whether Trump's conviction could be vacated due to the U.S. Supreme Court's July decision on presidential immunity. Trump had also been scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 26.

Prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office sent Merchan an email on Nov. 10 asking him to pause the proceedings due to Trump's Nov. 5 election victory and inauguration in January 2025. Trump had asked the office to agree to the delay, prosecutors wrote.

"The People agree that these are unprecedented circumstances," prosecutors wrote.

Merchan paused all proceedings in the case through Nov. 19.

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?? Fresh off prison release, former Trump adviser Bannon due back in court

Steve Bannon, a former adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, is due in court on Nov.12, ahead of his trial on criminal fraud charges over a push to fund Trump's signature border wall, weeks after he was released from prison on a separate conviction.

Bannon is scheduled to stand trial starting on Dec. 9 in New York state court in Manhattan. Prosecutors say he deceived donors who contributed more than $15 million in 2019 to a private fundraising drive to build a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border. He has pleaded not guilty.

He is set to appear for a final pretrial conference before Acting Justice April Newbauer at 2:15 p.m. ET.

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?? Tom Girardi prosecutor joins Chicago law firm that spurred Girardi's downfall

Four years after Chicago-based law firm Edelson PC first accused prominent plaintiffs' lawyer Tom Girardi of stealing settlement funds belonging to his clients, the firm hired a California federal prosecutor who helped secure Girardi's conviction on related criminal charges in August.

Ali Moghaddas joined Edelson as a partner after a five-year stint in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, the firm said. Moghaddas will work out of the firm's Los Angeles office.

Edelson sued Girardi, his law firm and others in Chicago federal court in 2020, accusing of them of stealing more than $2 million in settlement funds that were meant for the firms' clients in litigation over the 2018 Boeing 737 MAX Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia.

The allegations triggered the collapse of Girardi's law firm, Girardi Keese. Girardi and the firm were forced into bankruptcy. Girardi, once acclaimed for his national plaintiff-side practice, was disbarred by the California Supreme Court in June 2022.

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?? California bar pass rate for July caps off a strong exam cycle

California posted a 54% pass rate on the July 2024 bar exam — an increase from 52% the previous year and a strong finish to what was by and large an excellent bar exam cycle for most of the country.?

California was among 36 jurisdictions to see an increased overall pass rate from July 2023, alongside Texas, Florida, Illinois and the District of Columbia, according to data compiled by the National Conference of Bar Examiners. New York’s overall pass rate of 69% was its highest since 2013 and represents a three-percentage point increase over last year.

The July 2024 bar exam marks the last time California will use the MBE. The State Bar of California is developing its own version of the bar exam with test prep provider Kaplan North America and will no longer use any of the national conference's bar exam components.

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?? That's all for today, thank you for reading?The Legal File and have a great day ahead!

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