A Manhattan judge has denied President-elect Donald Trump’s bid to indefinitely delay sentencing in his hush-money case, setting the stage for Trump to become the first U.S. president to take office while convicted of criminal charges.
Judge Juan M. Merchan rejected Trump’s request to postpone Friday’s sentencing, keeping the proceedings on track despite ongoing appeals.
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Trump’s lawyers had argued that the sentencing should be halted while they seek to overturn Merchan’s ruling upholding the 34 felony convictions for falsifying business records. However, the judge ruled that the sentencing will proceed unless Trump’s legal team secures a stay from a state appellate court. Trump’s team has already filed appeal paperwork, but no arguments have been scheduled.
Trump has opted to appear via video for Friday’s sentencing, citing the demands of the presidential transition. Despite the high-profile nature of the case, Merchan has indicated that the former president is unlikely to face any direct punishment stemming from the conviction.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office emphasized the importance of moving forward, citing public interest and the need for finality in criminal proceedings. Prosecutors criticized Trump’s legal team for repeatedly delaying sentencing since its original July date. “He should not now be heard to complain of harm from delays he caused,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
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Trump’s legal team, meanwhile, argued that the conviction should be dismissed on grounds of presidential immunity, labeling the case a “meritless hoax.” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung claimed the decision violated established legal precedents, including the state constitution of New York and a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.
If sentencing proceeds as scheduled, it will take place just over a week before Trump’s inauguration to a second term. Trump has vowed to challenge the decision in appeals court and described the case as politically motivated, writing on Truth Social that allowing the conviction to stand would “be the end of the Presidency as we know it.”
Merchan’s refusal to halt sentencing in a case that even the DOJ declined to pursue adds to Trump’s legal and political challenges as he prepares to take office.
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