Special Poll
On Thursday, New York’s highest court decided not to postpone the sentencing of President-elect Trump, who is facing a criminal conviction related to hush money payments. This decision was communicated in a brief message from the chief clerk of the New York Court of Appeals, stating that Judge Jenny Rivera had declined to issue an order to stop the sentencing, which is scheduled for Friday morning. Trump’s legal team had argued for a delay, citing his presidential immunity and demanding the dismissal of the charges.
Despite these appeals, all levels of New York’s state courts have now rejected Trump’s attempts to delay his sentencing for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. This ruling comes after Judge Juan Merchan, who will not be sending Trump to prison, had previously scheduled the sentencing. Trump’s last hope now lies with the U.S. Supreme Court, where he filed an emergency application on Wednesday. This application was directed to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who oversees such cases from New York.
Trump’s attorneys have contended that preparing for sentencing while also getting ready to assume the presidency imposes an unconstitutional burden on him. However, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg urged the Supreme Court to proceed with sentencing, noting that the trial court has already taken steps to reduce any potential burdens on Trump, including a decision to sentence him to an unconditional discharge. Bragg emphasized that there is a significant public interest in moving forward with the sentencing, which is expected to last no more than an hour.