On Wednesday morning, President-elect Donald Trump filed an emergency petition with the United States Supreme Court in an effort to block his upcoming sentencing in the New York hush money case.
The case background
The case stems from a Manhattan jury’s verdict finding Trump guilty of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges were part of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation.
Trump has consistently maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to all charges and appealing the ruling. However, Judge Juan Merchan denied the appeal last week and set sentencing for January 10.
JUST IN: Trump files emergency petition to Supreme Court to prevent sentencing in New York hush money case. pic.twitter.com/rGHIFiVv3M
— Resist Times (@resistupdates) January 8, 2025
Trump’s thoughts on the case
Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung criticized the New York courts, calling the actions against Trump a “witch hunt.”
“President Trump’s legal team has filed an emergency petition with the United States Supreme Court, urging it to correct the unjust actions of the New York courts and halt the unlawful sentencing,” Cheung said. “The Supreme Court’s historic decisions on immunity, the Constitution, and established legal precedent make it clear that this meritless case should be dismissed immediately.”
Cheung also underscored Trump’s electoral mandate, claiming it reflected public disapproval of the legal proceedings.
“The American people have given President Trump an overwhelming mandate to end the political weaponization of our justice system,” he added. “We are eager to move forward with uniting the country and achieving the goals of the new administration as President Trump makes America great again.”
Update:
1/8/2025
In a closely contested decision, the Supreme Court on Thursday rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s last-minute bid to delay sentencing in his New York hush-money case.
The 5-4 ruling clears the way for Trump to be sentenced on Friday, just days before his anticipated return to the presidency.
The court’s decision allows Judge Juan M. Merchan to impose a sentence on Trump, who was convicted of felony charges tied to a $130,000 hush-money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Prosecutors argued the payment was an effort to silence Daniels about an alleged affair to protect Trump’s candidacy, though Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing or liaison with Daniels.
Supreme Court’s Decision
The majority opinion was formed by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who joined the court’s three liberal justices in rejecting Trump’s emergency motion.
Their reasoning centered on the idea that sentencing would not impose an “insurmountable burden” during the presidential transition.
Judge Merchan has already indicated he does not intend to impose jail time, fines, or probation on Trump, further mitigating concerns about undue hardship.
Trump’s legal team had requested a delay, arguing that the sentencing should be postponed while his appeal moves through the courts.
However, the majority of justices concluded that the appeals process could adequately address those arguments without necessitating a delay in sentencing.
Dissenting Opinions
Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented, expressing support for delaying the sentencing. The dissenting justices did not issue a formal explanation for their position in the court’s order.
The Case Against Trump
Trump’s conviction stems from what prosecutors described as a deliberate effort to cover up the hush-money payment to Daniels, made during the final stretch of the 2016 presidential campaign. The payment was funneled through his former attorney Michael Cohen, who previously served time in federal prison for related crimes, including campaign finance violations.
Prosecutors argued that Trump falsified business records to conceal the payment, which they said amounted to a violation of campaign finance laws. While Trump has admitted to reimbursing Cohen for the payment, he has denied any intent to break the law.
Trump’s legal team has maintained that the case is politically motivated, accusing the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office of targeting him for partisan reasons.
Sentencing and Political Implications
Updated: 1/11/2025
President-elect Donald Trump received an unconditional discharge on Friday morning in the highly publicized falsified business records case out of New York.
The sentence, handed down by Judge Juan Merchan, came after the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s bid to delay the proceedings.
Under New York state law, an unconditional discharge is a sentence where no imprisonment, fine, or probation is imposed. Effectively, it concludes the case without requiring further legal obligations from the defendant.
Trump’s Reaction in Court
Addressing the court during the hearing, Trump criticized the origins and motivations behind the case, stating, “This was a case that Alvin Bragg did not want to bring.
He thought it was inappropriately handled before he got in.” Trump alleged that a lawyer, acting in a capacity akin to a district attorney, had improperly handled the case before it reached Bragg’s office.
“It was criminal, what he did,” Trump claimed, further suggesting that the individual in question had ties to one of his political opponents. “It was a legal expense,” Trump said, defending the payments at the center of the case.
Trump also emphasized that several legal experts, including those he described as “not exactly friends of mine,” had publicly criticized the prosecution, asserting that “this is a case that should have never been brought.” He contended that the case was politically motivated, designed to harm his reputation and influence the outcome of the election. “It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election,” Trump said. “Obviously, this did not work.”