Trump requests the Supreme Court to delay the hush money case before the sentencing takes place.
President-elect Donald Trump has requested that the U.S. Supreme Court intervene to stop a New York state court from sentencing him following his conviction on criminal charges related to hush money paid to a porn star.
This request comes after a New York appeals court rejected his attempt to delay the sentencing set for Friday in Manhattan. In a filing made public on Wednesday, Trump's legal team urged the Supreme Court to promptly issue a stay in the case as he seeks to appeal and clarify issues surrounding presidential immunity, referencing a previous Supreme Court decision. His lawyers indicated that this appeal might also reach the Supreme Court.
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They further requested a temporary "administrative stay" while the court reviews their broader request for a pause. Trump, who is preparing to take office again on January 20, was found guilty by a New York jury for concealing a $130,000 payment made by his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed they had a sexual encounter prior to the 2016 election. Trump has denied both the encounter and any misconduct. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, stated that the legal team is seeking the Supreme Court's intervention to rectify what they view as unjust actions by New York courts and to prevent the unlawful sentencing.
A representative for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is prosecuting the case, mentioned that the office would respond through court documents. This hush money case marks a historic moment, making Trump the first sitting or former U.S. president to face criminal charges and the first to be convicted. Since the verdict, his attorneys have made two unsuccessful attempts to have the case dismissed. In setting Trump's sentencing for Friday, Justice Juan Merchan indicated last week that he was unlikely to impose jail time and would probably grant him an unconditional discharge, which would record a judgment of guilt without any penalties like incarceration, fines, or probation.
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