Supreme Court Denies Trump's Bid to Halt Sentencing in Hush Money Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for Donald Trump's sentencing in a criminal case involving hush money paid to a porn star. A 5-4 decision denied his appeal. Judge Merchan will likely give an unconditional discharge. The case weighs on presidential immunity amid Trump's appeal.

The United States Supreme Court has denied Donald Trump's last-minute request to halt his sentencing in a criminal case, marking a significant step in legal proceedings against the former president. In a decisive 5-4 vote, two conservative justices joined the court's three liberal judges to reject Trump's bid, allowing sentencing to proceed as scheduled this Friday in New York state court, Manhattan.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett sided with liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson in the majority decision. Their brief order clarified that alleged evidentiary violations could be addressed on appeal and described the sentencing's burden on Trump's duties as minimal, given the anticipated outcome of 'unconditional discharge' after a brief virtual hearing.

While Trump appointed Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett during his presidency, the Trump legal team argues for immunity due to his president-elect status. This claim is contested by legal experts who emphasize that immunity for unofficial conduct is unsupported. Trump's legal journey grapples with presidential immunity questions amid appeals following a Supreme Court ruling last July granting former presidents immunity for official acts.

(With inputs from agencies.)