Judge Juan Merchan has denied Donald Trump’s request to delay sentencing in the hush money case, maintaining the Friday hearing as planned. The decision, noted in a court filing Monday, represents another legal defeat for the former president, who will likely have his lawyers appeal the ruling. Earlier in the day, a team of Trump’s lawyers filed an appeal with a New York appellate court, seeking to invalidate Merchan’s earlier rulings on issues with Trump’s guilty verdict. Simultaneously, they urged Merchan to delay the sentencing while the appeals process unfolds. Despite these efforts, Merchan emphasized that Trump would not face jail time and reaffirmed the January 10 sentencing date.
Reasoning evil-done out of the Manhattan district attorney’s office is to put this unnecessary delay and bring on attention on a track record of always postponing the matter with trump. They made short work of having the hearing fixed for July 2024, although after repeated requests by Trump, it is now being called for hearing again.
In their filing, they asserted, “Defendant will suffer no prejudice from the conclusion of criminal proceedings in the trial court.”
Trump’s legal team contended that the sentencing should wait until his appeals regarding presidential immunity are fully resolved. “The Court should vacate the sentencing hearing…and suspend all further deadlines in the case,” Trump’s attorneys wrote, arguing that the charges should be dismissed due to his status as President-Elect.
The case stems from Trump’s May conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. These charges relate to payments made to Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, reimbursing a $130,000 payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels. The payment was intended to keep Daniels from speaking about an alleged affair with Trump before the 2016 presidential election, an affair Trump denies.
In a Monday appeal, Trump’s lawyers claimed Merchan’s rulings undermine the presidency and contradict established legal precedent. They argued that criminal proceedings should not be conducted against a President-Elect and criticized the use of evidence involving official acts.
Prosecutors countered that finalizing the sentencing is necessary for Trump to move forward with his anticipated appeal. “The current schedule is entirely a function of defendant’s repeated requests to adjourn a sentencing date,” prosecutors stated, adding that Trump’s decision to appear virtually for sentencing negates claims of harm.
The legal drama has been overshadowed by the political rise of Trump. On Monday, he was formally certified for winning the 2024 presidential election. Almost four years after the January 6 Capitol riot spurred by Trump’s attempts to turn back his 2020 election loss, this proclamation has come.
Judge Merchan’s refusal to postpone sentencing will keep Trump’s legal battles at the forefront while he gets ready to move back into the White House.