Days away from his criminal sentencing in New York, President-elect Donald Trump is seeking a late-stage rescue from the U.S. Supreme Court, escalating his bid to shut down the case before he returns to the White House.
In an emergency petition filed late Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers urged the high court to intervene and halt the sentencing, which is scheduled for Friday, 10 days before the presidential inauguration.
The filing came after a New York Appeal Court rejected the same request on Tuesday, casting doubt on the validity of his effort to stave off the sentencing.

The effort hinges on Trump’s argument that he is entitled to full immunity from prosecution, and even sentencing, now that he is the president-elect. His lawyers have based that claim on a polarizing Supreme Court ruling from last year that granted former presidents broad immunity for their official acts.

“This court should enter an immediate stay of further proceedings in the New York trial court to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government,” the application said,
The Supreme Court directed prosecutors to respond to Trump’s application by Thursday morning, an indication that the justices may act before the scheduled sentencing on Friday.
It capped a whirlwind stretch of legal wrangling for the former and future president, who is scrambling to avoid the embarrassing spectacle of a public sentencing.

Although Trump is expected to receive nothing more than a slap on the wrist — the trial judge overseeing the case has signaled that he would spare Trump jail time — the sentencing carries symbolic importance. It would formalize Trump’s status as a felon, making him the first president to hold that dubious designation.
If the Supreme Court grants a stay of Trump’s sentencing, it might effectively scuttle the proceeding for good. The window to sentence Trump is rapidly closing — once he returns to the White House, Trump cannot face criminal prosecution and he would be 82 after his second term concludes. (The New York Times)