10
Jan
Jan
SUPREME COURT REJECTS TRUMP’S BID TO DELAY SENTENCING IN HUSH-MONEY CASE
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Nicolas Adekeye / 4 months
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- 2 min read
In a 5-4 decision, the US Supreme Court rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s emergency request to delay his sentencing in the New York hush-money case. The ruling clears the way for Trump to be sentenced on Friday, just days before his inauguration on January 20. Trump was convicted in May of falsifying business records over payments to adult-film star Stormy Daniels to keep her from speaking out about an alleged affair before the 2016 election. Trump has denied the affair. The Supreme Court’s decision was a significant defeat for Trump, who had argued that his sentencing would distract from his transition to power and potentially jeopardize national security. However, the court found that Trump’s concerns could be handled “in the ordinary course on appeal.” Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberals in rejecting Trump’s emergency motion. The majority found that Trump’s sentencing wouldn’t be an insurmountable burden during the presidential transition, especially since Judge Juan Merchan has indicated that Trump won’t face jail time, fines, or probation. “We brought a case. A jury of ordinary New Yorkers returned 34 guilty verdicts,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. “Our function right now primarily is to continue to give voice to that verdict and respect, as a principle — bedrock principle of the administration of justice — that the jury’s voice must not be rubbed out.” Trump’s attorneys had argued that the case was politically motivated and that sentencing him now would be a “grave injustice.” However, prosecutors countered that Trump’s concerns could be hashed out on appeal. The decision comes after the conservative-majority court has handed Trump major victories over the past year. The justices could also be faced with weighing other parts of the sweeping conservative changes Trump has promised after he takes office. In a statement, Trump said he respects the high court’s order and will pursue an appeal that could end up before the high court again. “I respect the court’s opinion — I think it was actually a very good opinion for us because you saw what they said, but they invited the appeal and the appeal is on the bigger issue. So, we’ll see how it works out,” he said.