An appellate court in New York has denied former President Donald Trump’s request to halt his sentencing scheduled for this Friday in a criminal case stemming from hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Associate Justice Ellen Gesmer of the Appellate Division made the decision on Tuesday after a hearing on Trump’s last-minute effort to block Judge Juan Merchan’s ruling to proceed with sentencing. On Monday, Judge Merchan rejected Trump’s attempt to delay the sentencing, which is set for ten days before a potential presidential inauguration.
In his decision, Judge Merchan stated that Trump’s request was largely a repetition of previous arguments that had been raised and dismissed. The judge indicated that he was not inclined to impose a prison sentence. Instead, he suggested an unconditional discharge, resulting in a judgment of guilt on Trump’s record without additional penalties or probation.
Trump criticized the decision, referring to Merchan as a “crooked judge” and claiming that it complicates a smooth transition. “This is a man who said he wants the transition to be smooth,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “You don’t have a judge working hard to try and embarrass you because I did nothing wrong.”
The case centers around a $130,000 payment made by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Stormy Daniels to keep her from speaking publicly about an alleged encounter with Trump—a claim he denies. The payment was made prior to the 2016 election, in which Trump defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Trump has argued that the charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg are politically motivated to harm his potential 2024 presidential bid. Bragg has stated that his office routinely prosecutes felony falsification of business records cases.
This conviction marks the first time a U.S. president, sitting or former, has been charged and convicted of a crime. Since the guilty verdict, Trump’s legal team has made several unsuccessful attempts to have the case dismissed.
In previous rulings, Judge Merchan rejected arguments from Trump’s lawyers that the case should be dismissed based on a U.S. Supreme Court decision stating that presidents cannot be prosecuted for official acts. Merchan noted that the hush money case pertains to Trump’s personal conduct, not his official duties.
Following Trump’s election victory in November, his lawyers contended that the ongoing legal proceedings would impede his ability to govern if he returns to office. Judge Merchan denied this request, emphasizing the importance of upholding the jury’s verdict and the rule of law.
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New York appeals court denies Trump bid to halt hush money sentencing
cgtn.com
