The sentencing of President-elect Donald Trump in his felony hush money case will not be delayed, according to a New York judge.
Justice Juan Merchan ruled that the sentencing would proceed despite Trump’s arguments, stating that they were largely repetitive of his previous arguments.
According to court filings, Trump’s attorneys have argued that they are seeking to dismiss this politically motivated prosecution that they believe was flawed from the very beginning. They are now requesting a hearing on the matter with the appellate court.
In May, Donald Trump, the first former president to be convicted of a crime, was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Justice Merchan denied the defendant’s motion for a stay of the proceedings, including the scheduled sentencing hearing on January 10, 2025.
The charges arise from Trump’s effort to conceal reimbursements for a $130,000 payment to an adult film star as legal expenses.
Trump entered a plea of not guilty and vehemently denied any wrongdoing. His legal team argued that initiating an appeal would effectively pause the ongoing criminal proceedings in his New York case.
The sentencing had faced multiple delays due to the 2024 presidential election and Trump’s efforts to dismiss the case by asserting presidential immunity. In December, Justice Merchan ultimately dismissed the immunity argument.
Justice Merchan issued an order on 3 January stating that he would proceed with the sentencing before Trump’s inauguration on 20 January. However, he explicitly mentioned that he would not entertain the possibility of a custodial sentence.
Instead of imposing any form of punishment, he stated that he would opt for an “unconditional discharge” sentence, which entails no imprisonment, fines, or probation.
Judge Merchan has ordered Trump to attend the hearing either virtually or in person.
According to Steven Cheung, spokesman for Trump’s presidential transition, he maintains that the prosecution was unlawful.
In a statement, he emphasized, “The American people elected President Trump with a resounding mandate that requires us to promptly put an end to the politicization of our justice system and all the ongoing witch hunts.”
There has been no public comment from Trump’s team regarding the president-elect’s appearance in court this Friday.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office responded to the request for a stay on Monday afternoon, citing the defendant’s choice to appear for sentencing virtually rather than in person.
The mention of a virtual hearing was reiterated a few pages later.
The district attorney responded to Trump’s request for an immediate stay of his sentencing, urging the judge to deny it. The district attorney argued that there would be no prejudice against Trump if the request was denied.
In the aftermath of the election, there was a surge of legal filings from both Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who initiated the case, and Trump’s legal team.
Bragg’s office had previously stated that they would not object to postponing Trump’s sentencing until the end of his term in office, which is four years away.
However, Justice Merchan decided to proceed with the sentencing despite Bragg’s request, and Bragg asked the judge to proceed with sentencing on Friday.
Justice Merchan expressed his strong conviction that resolving the legal complexities at hand requires bringing closure to this matter, as stated in his recent order.
The judge, while acknowledging the possibility of further legal challenges from Trump, emphasized the importance of allowing him to pursue all available appeals.
