Trump Seeks Supreme Intervention in Hush Money Case Sentencing

President-elect Donald Trump has requested the Supreme Court to delay his sentencing in a hush money case after a New York appeals court denied his appeal. His attorneys argue the delay is critical to prevent harm to presidential functions, with the Manhattan DA set to respond shortly.

US President-elect Donald Trump has petitioned the Supreme Court to pause his upcoming sentencing in the hush money case scheduled for January 10, CNN has revealed. This request follows a New York state appeals court's decision to deny Trump's bid to defer sentencing, ahead of his inauguration on January 20.

Trump's legal team contends that postponing the sentencing is crucial "to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government." Meanwhile, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has announced it will address Trump's application in court filings.

The Supreme Court has directed prosecutors to file their response by 10 am (local time) on Thursday. Trump is challenging his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records, asserting it should be overturned in light of the Supreme Court's conservative majority ruling in July, which declared former presidents are entitled to broad immunity for official acts.

In May 2023, Trump was found guilty of falsifying records to cover up payments to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen, who paid USD 130,000 in hush money to adult-film star Stormy Daniels, keeping her quiet about an alleged affair with Trump before the 2016 election. Trump has consistently denied the affair. CNN reports that this request is deemed 'unusual' since the New York courts have yet to fully resolve his criminal charges.

Judge Juan Merchan, the presiding judge in New York, dismissed Trump's efforts to halt the sentencing set for Friday. Merchan upheld Trump's conviction last week and signaled that Trump, slated to be inaugurated on January 20, will face no legal consequences. Steven Cheung, Trump's spokesperson, said Wednesday's plea was made "to correct the unjust actions by New York courts and stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.'s Witch Hunt."

(With inputs from agencies.)