US Supreme Court denies Trump bid to halt hush money sentencing

Former US President Donald Trump sits at the defendant’s table inside the courthouse as the jury is scheduled to continue deliberations for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024 in New York City. US President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on January 8, 2025 to block his sentencing this week for covering up hush money payments to a porn star while he appeals his conviction. Trump made the eleventh-hour plea for a suspension of the criminal proceedings to the nation’s highest court after a New York State appeals court dismissed his effort to have the hearing delayed. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 10. (Photo by Justin LANE / POOL / AFP)

The US Supreme Court on Thursday denied a last-minute bid by President-elect Donald Trump to halt sentencing in his hush money case.

The top court, which includes three justices appointed by Trump, rejected his emergency application seeking to block Friday’s sentencing by a 5-4 vote.

The court, in a brief unsigned order, said the “burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial” and noted that Trump will be allowed to attend virtually.

The court also noted that the judge who presided over the hush money case has already said he plans to impose a sentence of “unconditional discharge,” which does not carry any jail time, fine or probation.

Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in Manhattan at 9:30 am (1430 GMT) on Friday after being convicted by a New York jury in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump, 78, who is to be sworn in as president on January 20, filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking to halt his sentencing.

Four justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, all conservatives — were in favor of granting Trump’s request to halt his sentencing.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, also conservatives, joined the three liberal justices in rejecting the president-elect’s bid.

Barrett, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh were appointed by Trump.

Trump’s lawyers made several legal maneuvers in an effort to fend off sentencing, arguing that it would be a “grave injustice” and harm “the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government.”

Trump’s attorneys also claimed that the immunity from prosecution granted to a sitting president should be extended to a president-elect.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg rejected their arguments in his response on Thursday, saying Trump was a private citizen when he was “charged, tried and convicted.”

Convicted felon

Bragg also said the Supreme Court “lacks jurisdiction over a state court’s management of an ongoing criminal trial” and preventing sentencing would be an “extraordinary step” by the top court.

“There is no basis for such intervention,” he said.

In the order, the Supreme Court said Trump can still appeal his conviction through the New York state courts.

Judge Juan Merchan said last week he was leaning towards giving Trump an unconditional discharge that would not carry jail time, a fine or probation.

He also agreed to allow Trump to attend Friday’s Manhattan sentencing virtually instead of in person.

Trump is the first former US president to be convicted of a crime and will be the first convicted felon to serve in the White House.

He potentially faced up to four years in prison, but legal experts — even before he won the November presidential election — did not expect Merchan to incarcerate him.

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 sought to overturn his 2020 defeat.