Donald Trump asks Supreme Court to block sentencing in his hush money case in New York

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

President-elect Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to call off Friday’s (January 10, 2025) sentencing in his hush money case in New York.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers turned to the nation’s highest court Wednesday (January 8, 2025) after New York courts refused to postpone the sentencing by Juan M. Merchan, the judge who presided over Mr. Trump’s trial and conviction last May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Mr. Trump’s attorneys asked for an immediate stay of Friday’s (January 10, 2025) sentencing “to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the Presidency and the operations of the federal government.”

The Supreme Court asked for a response from New York prosecutors by Thursday (January 9, 2025).

Mr. Merchan has indicated he will not impose jail time, fines or probation.

Mr. Trump’s attorneys have pointed to the Supreme Court’s ruling giving him broad immunity from criminal prosecution as they tried to have his New York conviction tossed out.

While that opinion came in a different case, Mr. Trump’s lawyers say it means some of the evidence used against him in his hush money trial should have been shielded by presidential immunity. Mr. Merchan has disagreed.