In a decisive ruling, a New York judge rejected President-elect Donald Trump's plea for a delay in his criminal sentencing, setting the stage for an urgent legal scramble in the appeals courts ahead of the inauguration. State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, in a succinct two-page directive, dismissed Mr. Trump’s defense team's request to postpone the upcoming Friday sentencing. Defense attorney Todd Blanche had sought the delay, challenging Judge Merchan’s earlier refusal to quash the case on grounds of presidential immunity, as per a Supreme Court decision regarding "official acts." Judge Merchan critiqued the defense's motion as largely redundant and unsupported by relevant legal precedents or factual similarities to the current case.
In an intriguing twist, although signaling his intention to sentence Mr. Trump before he assumes office again, Judge Merchan indicated that incarceration would not be part of Mr. Trump’s sentence. Reacting vehemently to this development, Mr. Trump lambasted the decision and called for Judge Merchan's disbarment. His legal team is now poised to urgently petition appellate courts for intervention; failure here means Mr. Trump will undergo either virtual or physical sentencing barely ten days before his White House return.
At the heart of this legal battle are allegations from prosecutors that Mr. Trump illicitly concealed a payment meant for adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign – an act purportedly aimed at breaching election laws. They argue that Mr. Trump routed payments through Michael Cohen and later obscured reimbursements in 2017 financial records by mislabeling them as legal fees. Contrarily, Mr. Trump’s defense maintains that these were legitimate payments mistaken by Mr. Trump amidst his presidential duties and accuses political adversaries of orchestrating the trial to derail his campaign efforts.
Despite being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records by a jury, Mr. Trump has managed not only to weather this storm but also secure victories in both GOP primary and general elections against Vice President Kamala Harris – bolstered rather than hindered by his legal predicaments according to some observers.
In parallel developments, Special Counsel Jack Smith has proposed dropping federal charges against Mr. Trump while a Georgia racketeering case hangs in balance due to potential conflicts of interest involving Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis – adding yet another layer of complexity and intrigue to an already convoluted legal saga surrounding President-elect Donald Trump as he prepares for another term in office.
In an intriguing twist, although signaling his intention to sentence Mr. Trump before he assumes office again, Judge Merchan indicated that incarceration would not be part of Mr. Trump’s sentence. Reacting vehemently to this development, Mr. Trump lambasted the decision and called for Judge Merchan's disbarment. His legal team is now poised to urgently petition appellate courts for intervention; failure here means Mr. Trump will undergo either virtual or physical sentencing barely ten days before his White House return.
At the heart of this legal battle are allegations from prosecutors that Mr. Trump illicitly concealed a payment meant for adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign – an act purportedly aimed at breaching election laws. They argue that Mr. Trump routed payments through Michael Cohen and later obscured reimbursements in 2017 financial records by mislabeling them as legal fees. Contrarily, Mr. Trump’s defense maintains that these were legitimate payments mistaken by Mr. Trump amidst his presidential duties and accuses political adversaries of orchestrating the trial to derail his campaign efforts.
Despite being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records by a jury, Mr. Trump has managed not only to weather this storm but also secure victories in both GOP primary and general elections against Vice President Kamala Harris – bolstered rather than hindered by his legal predicaments according to some observers.
In parallel developments, Special Counsel Jack Smith has proposed dropping federal charges against Mr. Trump while a Georgia racketeering case hangs in balance due to potential conflicts of interest involving Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis – adding yet another layer of complexity and intrigue to an already convoluted legal saga surrounding President-elect Donald Trump as he prepares for another term in office.
