In a significant ruling, the New York Court of Appeals denied President-elect Donald Trump’s motion to delay his sentencing, scheduled for Friday in the Manhattan criminal case, New York v. Trump. The decision comes after months of legal proceedings surrounding the case, where Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records.
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Fox News reports that the sentencing, set for 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 10, will proceed despite Trump’s request for a delay.
Earlier in the week, Trump’s legal team sought to have the verdict vacated based on a Supreme Court ruling regarding presidential immunity, arguing that the charges against Trump were invalid given his upcoming role as president. However, New York Judge Juan Merchan rejected this argument and maintained the scheduled sentencing date.
Trump’s legal team did not stop there. The president-elect filed a motion to stay the sentencing, first with the New York State Court of Appeals and then with the U.S. Supreme Court. On Thursday morning, the New York Court of Appeals issued its decision, denying Trump’s motion. The status of Trump’s request at the U.S. Supreme Court remains unresolved as of now.
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In a statement issued by the New York Appeals Court, Associate Justice Ellen Gesmer emphasized that after careful consideration of the filings and oral arguments, Trump’s request for an interim stay was denied. Despite the rejection, Trump remains set to attend the sentencing virtually.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg addressed the situation during a Thursday afternoon news conference, telling reporters, “It’s where we are,” in reference to awaiting a potential Supreme Court ruling.
“We believe the sanctity of the jury verdict must be given primacy,” he said, according to ABC News. “The jury’s voice must not be rubbed out.”
In a letter, he also encouraged the Supreme Court to deny Trump’s request to halt his sentencing, arguing that there is no justification for the nation’s highest court to get involved.
“Defendant now asks this Court to take the extraordinary step of intervening in a pending state criminal trial to prevent the scheduled sentencing from taking place — before final judgment has been entered by the trial court, and before any direct appellate review of defendant’s conviction,” he wrote. “There is no basis for such intervention.”
The case revolves around Trump’s involvement in a $130,000 payment made to former adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. The payment was intended to keep Daniels quiet about an alleged affair she claimed to have had with Trump in 2006.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office worked to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal this payment, leading to his conviction on 34 counts in May 2024.
The case has faced intense scrutiny, with Trump repeatedly denying the allegations and supporters arguing that the legal actions against Trump are politically motivated and part of a “witch hunt.”
Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung has repeatedly called for the case to be immediately dismissed.
“The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed,” he told Fox News on Monday.
