A New York judge on Monday rejected US President-elect Donald Trump’s request to delay his sentencing later this week in a money laundering case.
Judge Juan Merchan ruled last week that Trump’s sentencing should continue Friday despite his upcoming inauguration, rejecting his lawyer’s argument that his election victory should bring an end to the case.
Merchan said in a two-page decision that prosecutors had opposed delaying the sentencing and that it should proceed as planned barring Trump’s successful last-minute appeal to the high court.
“This court has considered defendant’s arguments in support of his motion and finds that they are largely reiteration of arguments he has raised many times in the past,” Marchen said.
“The defendant’s request to stay these proceedings, including the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, is denied,” the judge said.
Marchant has given Trump, the first former President convicted of a crime, the option to attend Friday’s sentencing in person or virtually and has said he is unwilling to impose prison time on former and future presidents. .
Trump’s lawyers had asked the judge to delay sentencing while appealing the Manhattan jury’s conviction.
He was convicted in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels from disclosing an alleged 2006 sexual encounter on the eve of the 2016 election.
Trump was certified as the winner of the 2024 presidential election on Monday, four years after his supporters rioted at the US Capitol as he tried to overturn his 2020 defeat. He has to take oath as President on January 20.
Trump’s lawyers had sought to dismiss the case on several grounds, including the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling last year that former US presidents are immune from prosecution for many official acts committed while in office.
In an 18-page decision last week, Merchan rejected the motions but said Trump would have immunity from prosecution once he is sworn in as president.
He said he was leaning toward granting Trump an unconditional discharge — meaning the New York real estate tycoon would not only avoid the threat of prison, but also any kind of probation.
Yet the sentence would see Trump enter the White House as a convicted felon.
Trump, 78, potentially faces up to four years in prison, but legal experts — even before he won the presidential election in November — did not expect Marchen to send him to prison.
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