Trump loses Supreme Court appeal to block hush-money sentencing : NPR

Donald Trump, now President-elect, arrives for an impeachment hearing at the New York City Supreme Court in New York City in April 2023.

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A divided US Supreme Court rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s planned Friday motion to halt his conviction in the New York hush money case.

The court, in a justification For his order Thursday, Trump said he could resolve his issues with the verdict through appeals and that “the burden the conviction will place on the responsibilities of the president-elect is relative given the trial court’s stated intent to impose an unconditional sentence.” “Discharge is low” after a short virtual hearing.”

Conservative justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh would have granted Trump a reprieve.

The decision blocks Trump’s final legal avenue to stop his conviction, which comes just 10 days before he takes office for a second term.

A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

This was the only one of Trump’s criminal charges to go to trial, making him the first former or future US president to be convicted on a criminal charge.

Judge Juan Merchan of New York has already said he intends to impose an unconditional dismissal on the former and future president, meaning Trump will not face prison, probation or fines.

However, the conviction remains on his record.

Trump has argued that as president-elect he is immune from all prosecution and conviction after the Supreme Court ruled last summer that presidents enjoy broad immunity from prosecution.

“This court should order an immediate stay of further proceedings in the New York court to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government,” Trump’s lawyers argued in their statement Application to the Supreme Court.

In response: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggwho brought the case said a conviction before the inauguration would preserve the sanctity of the jury’s verdict and the law.

Bragg also warned that any delay could drag out the trial for years until Trump completes his second term as president – which would be unfair since Trump himself has called for multiple delays in sentencing.

“The Stocks do not favor rewarding a defendant for delays caused by its own litigation decisions,” he wrote.

Merchan had already delayed the verdict several times to avoid the impression of political bias before the 2024 election and to then allow Trump’s team to argue that the president enjoyed immunity and the case should be dismissed entirely. Merchan ultimately denied these claims.

Trump’s lawyers continued to accuse Bragg, the prosecutor in charge of the case, of having political motives and argued that it is up to appeals courts – and possibly the Supreme Court itself – to weigh in on the president’s immunity claims.

Trump is expected to attend the sentencing virtually, but he has the option to appear in person.

Trump had previously tried, also unsuccessfully, to appeal to the highest court to overturn a gag order in effect until his sentencing in the case that prohibits him from speaking about prosecutors, court staff or their families involved in the case speak.