US Supreme Court rejects Trump's last-minute bid to delay sentencing in hush money case
10 January 2025, 02:42
The US Supreme Court has rejected Trump’s last-minute attempt to delay his sentencing on Friday for his hush money case.
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The incoming president’s delay bid was rejected by the country’s top court after three New York courts refused to delay his sentencing hearing.
The court’s nine justices voted to reject his appeal by five to four on Thursday, which means the sentencing hearing will go ahead on Friday - ten days before Trump takes office on January 20.
It means he will be the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to take office.
Trump had previously wanted the judge to throw out the case in light of his presidential election win.
He had argued that going further with the legal proceedings would "threaten the functioning of the federal government”.
Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts in a New York court on criminal charges involving him trying to cover up paying 130,000 dollars (£105,300) in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.
The former US President had pleaded not guilty to all counts, and denied any sexual encounter with Daniels.
Trump reacted to the ruling on his Truth Social platform, saying: “This is a case that should never have been brought. There was no case against me.
“In other words, I am innocent of all of the Judge’s made up, fake charges. This was nothing other than Weaponization of our Justice System against a Political Opponent.
Trump and his spokespeople have been calling the legal proceedings a ‘witch hunt’, arguing that it is politically motivated.
Trump added: “To this day, this highly political and corrupt Judge has put a gag order on me, which takes away my First Amendment right to speak about very important aspects of the case.
“For the sake and sanctity of the Presidency, I will be appealing this case, and am confident that JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL.
“The pathetic, dying remnants of the Witch Hunts against me will not distract us as we unite and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
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Judge Juan M Merchan said he will not give Mr Trump jail time, fines or probation, but Mr Trump's lawyers have argued that the case would distract Trump in the leadup to his inauguration in just over a week's time.
They also argued that evidence used in the Manhattan trial violated last July’s Supreme Court ruling giving former presidents broad immunity from prosecution for acts committed while in office.
Prosecutors pushed back, saying there is no reason for the court to take the "extraordinary step" of intervening in a state case now.
Trump's attorneys have not proven that an hourlong virtual hearing would be a serious disruption, and a pause would likely mean pushing the case past the January 20 inauguration, creating a years-long delay in sentencing if it happens at all.
