Supreme Court Denies Trump's Appeal to Postpone Sentencing for New York Conviction

The Supreme Court has turned down a last-minute appeal from President-elect Donald Trump to postpone his sentencing related to his criminal conviction in New York. A majority of justices highlighted that the issues Trump raised about the evidence can be tackled through the normal appeal procedures. They mentioned that the presiding judge has indicated he does not intend to impose a jail sentence, suggesting that the impacts of sentencing on Trump's duties as President-elect would be minimal.

While four justices expressed support for Trump's call to delay sentencing, the majority concluded that it was not necessary. In response to the ruling, Trump spoke from his Mar-a-Lago estate, where he is meeting with Republican governors, asserting he still intends to appeal despite the absence of a jail penalty. He remarked on the fairness of the Court's decision and dismissed the significance of the penalty, indicating that he plans to proceed with his legal strategy.

The situation escalated after Justice Juan Merchan, responsible for Trump's trial, denied his requests to dismiss the case, which Trump argued violated presidential protections against criminal proceedings. New York prosecutors have pushed against any further postponements of the sentencing hearing, which has already been postponed multiple times since Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts for falsifying business records. They cited Merchan's previous comments suggesting he would likely offer Trump an unconditional discharge without jail time.

In May, a jury found Trump guilty of orchestrating a scheme to alter records concerning reimbursements related to a hush-money payment made to an adult film actress before his first campaign in 2016. Trump's defense claimed that presenting evidence from his time in office was unconstitutional, whereas his lawyers urged the Supreme Court to intervene to prevent harm to the presidency's integrity. The case has seen various appeals involving the Supreme Court since the Manhattan District Attorney began his investigation in 2018. Notably, the Court previously upheld the Manhattan DA's right to access Trump's tax records, which Trump fiercely contested. In court proceedings, Merchan offered Trump the option to attend the sentencing virtually, to which prosecutors mentioned he had agreed.