The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to postpone President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing in his hush money case, meaning he must face sentencing in a New York courtroom on Friday.
Trump's legal team cited a July Supreme Court ruling that granted him \"presidential immunity\" during the transition period. However, the Supreme Court of New York County refused to recognize this immunity, leading Trump's lawyers to seek an immediate pause on the criminal case while appealing the decision.
Despite a 6-to-3 conservative majority, the Supreme Court denied Trump's request, leaving the sentencing on schedule. 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 New York jury found Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign.
On Monday, Trump's lawyers filed a lawsuit at a New York appeals court against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan over the denial of Trump's presidential immunity motions.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday morning in Lower Manhattan, with Trump indicating plans to appear virtually. According to The New York Times, \"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.\"
Reference(s):
U.S. Supreme Court declines to halt Trump's hush money sentencing
cgtn.com
