In a significant legal setback for President-elect Donald Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to postpone his sentencing in the hush money case involving payments to a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign. This decision means Trump will face sentencing in a New York courtroom on Friday.
Trump’s legal team argued that the Supreme Court of New York County wrongly refused to recognize his immunity from prosecution during the presidential transition period, citing the court’s own ruling in July that granted him “presidential immunity.” In a document filed on Tuesday, they requested the U.S. Supreme Court to immediately pause the ongoing criminal case while appealing the legal issue concerning his immunity.
Despite the Supreme Court’s 6-to-3 conservative majority, the justices denied Trump’s last-ditch effort to avoid criminal sentencing before the January 20 inauguration. Trump, 78, who pleaded not guilty, is expected to appear virtually at the hearing.
“He doesn’t want to be sentenced because that is the official judgment of him being a convicted felon,” said Cheryl Bader, a law professor at Fordham University in New York.
In May 2024, a jury in New York found Trump guilty of all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an attempt to conceal hush money payments to a porn star during his first presidential campaign in 2016.
On Monday, Trump’s lawyers filed a lawsuit at an appeals court in New York against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan over the judge’s denial of Trump’s presidential immunity motions.
A hearing for Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for Friday morning in Lower Manhattan. The president-elect indicated that he plans to appear virtually.
“After months of delay, the sentencing will now formalize Mr. Trump’s conviction, cementing his status as the first felon to occupy the Oval Office,” reported The New York Times.
The Supreme Court’s decision underscores the principle that no one is above the law, even those poised to hold the highest office in the country. Legal experts suggest that Trump’s presidency may be marred by ongoing legal challenges, potentially affecting his ability to govern effectively.
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U.S. Supreme Court declines to halt Trump's hush money sentencing
cgtn.com
