Trump Fails to Stop Hush Money Sentencing as Supreme Court Rejects Bid
The United States Supreme Court on Thursday denied President-elect Donald Trump’s last-minute attempt to halt his sentencing in the hush money case, clearing the path for the proceedings to go forward as scheduled.
The court, in a 5-4 decision, rejected Trump’s emergency application to block Friday’s sentencing, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, both conservatives, joining the three liberal justices in denying the request.
The ruling emphasized that the “burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial,” adding that Trump would be permitted to attend the sentencing virtually.
Trump, 78, is set to be sentenced in Manhattan at 9:30 a.m. (1430 GMT) on Friday following his conviction in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records linked to a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The court noted that the presiding judge, Juan Merchan, has already indicated plans to issue an “unconditional discharge,” which would not involve jail time, a fine, or probation.
Legal Maneuvers Rejected
Trump’s legal team had argued that proceeding with sentencing would be a “grave injustice” and could harm the “institution of the presidency and federal government operations.” They also claimed the immunity from prosecution granted to sitting presidents should be extended to a president-elect.
However, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg dismissed these arguments, stating Trump was a private citizen when “charged, tried, and convicted.” He argued the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction over a state criminal trial’s management.
Historic Firsts
Trump, the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a crime, was confirmed as the winner of the 2024 presidential election earlier this week, marking a controversial return to power.
Though he could have faced up to four years in prison, legal experts had previously predicted that incarceration was unlikely, even before his presidential victory.
Trump remains the first convicted felon to serve as U.S. president, with the sentencing set to make history.
