New York’s highest appeals court declines to block Trump’s sentencing in hush money case

NEW YORK’S HIGHEST court has declined to block Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case, which is due to take place tomorrow. 

One judge at the New York Court of Appeals issued a brief order declining to grant a hearing to Trump’s legal team.

The decision leaves the US Supreme Court as the president-elect’s likely last option to prevent the hearing from taking place tomorrow.

Trump has asked the Supreme Court to call off the sentencing in the hush money case.

His lawyers turned to the nation’s highest court on Wednesday after New York courts refused to postpone the sentencing by Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial and conviction last May.

Advertisement

Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts after a jury found he had fraudulently manipulated business records to cover up an alleged sexual encounter with porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Trump says that Daniels’ story is false and that he did nothing wrong.

In a filing to the top New York court, Trump’s lawyers had said Judge Merchan and the state’s mid-level appellate court both “erroneously failed” to stop the sentencing, arguing that the US Constitution required an automatic pause as they appealed the judge’s ruling upholding the verdict.

While Judge Merchan has indicated he will not impose jail time, fines or probation, Trump’s lawyers argued a felony conviction would still have intolerable side effects, including distracting him as he prepared to take office.

Trump’s lawyers have argued that the Manhattan trial violated last summer’s supreme court ruling giving him broad immunity from prosecution over acts he took as president. At the least, they have said, the sentencing should be delayed while their appeals play out on the immunity issue.

Judges in New York have found that Trump’s convictions related to personal matters rather than official acts.

His lawyers called the case politically motivated, and said that the sentencing threatened to disrupt the Republican’s presidential transition as he prepared to return to the presidency on 20 January.

Related Reads

Judge sets date for Donald Trump's sentencing in hush money case, but signals no jail time

New York judge rejects Trump's bid to dismiss Stormy Daniels hush money conviction

Prosecutor fights Trump bid to throw out hush money conviction ahead of inauguration

Sentencing Trump now would be a “grave injustice”, his lawyer D John Sauer wrote.

Sauer is also Trump’s pick to be solicitor general, who represents the government before the high court.

The emergency motion to the US supreme court was submitted to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who hears emergency appeals from New York.

With reporting from Press Association

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More Support The Journal