President-elect Donald Trump was supposed to face sentencing later this month for his criminal conviction in May in New York, but that seems unlikely to occur now in light of his election to a second term in the White House.

In fact, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has suggested the entire case be stayed and postponed until Trump leaves office again in 2029, which the Trump team has celebrated as a "major victory" that means Bragg's case is "effectively over," according to Fox News.

Bragg's request for a delay in the proceedings until 2029 came in response to a request from Trump's attorneys for the case to be dismissed altogether.

DA Bragg requests delay in Trump proceedings until 2029

In a letter to Judge Juan Merchan dated Nov. 19, DA Bragg acknowledged that President-elect Trump's impending return to the White House had changed things but nonetheless maintained his opposition to an outright dismissal of the case in which he'd already secured a conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

No current law establishes that a president's temporary immunity from prosecution requires dismissal of a post-trial criminal proceeding that was initiated at a time when the defendant was not immune from criminal prosecution and that is based on unofficial conduct for which the defendant is
also not immune," Bragg wrote. "Rather, existing law suggests that the Court must balance competing constitutional interests and proceed 'in a manner that preserves both the independence of the Executive and the integrity of the criminal justice system.'"

"Given the need to balance competing constitutional interests, consideration must be given to various non-dismissal options that may address any concerns raised by the pendency of a post-trial criminal proceeding during the presidency, such as deferral of all remaining criminal proceedings until after the end of Defendant's upcoming presidential term," he added.

In other words, Bragg still believes that Trump should be sentenced for his felony convictions, but is willing to wait four more years until his second term as the president has concluded for that to occur.

Newsweek reported that President-elect Trump, who was convicted in May and faces up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine per each of the 34 counts, was originally scheduled to face sentencing in July, though that was later pushed back until September and then was delayed again the end of November, after the election.

Judge Merchan has a few options he could pursue, such as an outright dismissal of the case, as Trump's attorneys have requested, or a delay of the proceedings until Trump is a private citizen again in 2029, as Bragg suggested. He could also rule for an unconditional discharge, which would leave Trump's conviction on the books but spare him any prison sentence or fines.

"This thing is not coming back in five years"

Regardless of what Merchan ultimately decides to do, an unnamed Trump official told Fox News that Bragg's letter seeking a four-year delay was a tacit admission that his prosecution of Trump was "effectively over" and is a "major victory" for the president-elect.

"Prosecutors are trying to save face. They know this case will soon be thrown out," the official said, while another anonymous Trump official said the requested delay was a "fallback" plan that wouldn't survive because "No serious person believes this case will withstand that."

Still another unidentified source close to Trump told the outlet that Bragg's request "represents a total failure of the prosecution," and added, "Their case is in shambles and now everyone knows it is on its way to the ash heap of history. This thing is not coming back in five years -- no one would argue it is."

"A total and definitive victory" for Trump

In a more formal statement to Fox News, Trump spokesman and incoming White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said DA Bragg's requested delay constituted a "a total and definitive victory for President Trump and the American People who elected him in a landslide."

"The Manhattan DA has conceded that this Witch Hunt cannot continue," he added. "The lawless case is now stayed, and President Trump’s legal team is moving to get it dismissed once and for all."