Judge Juan Merchan has rejected Donald Trump’s request to postpone his sentencing in the hush money conviction case scheduled for Friday, according to a court filing on Monday. According to the reports of Leaders team, Trump’s legal team is expected to appeal the decision to a New York appellate court.
The former president, now certified as the winner of the 2024 presidential election, faces ongoing legal challenges just four years after the January 6 Capitol riots. His lawyers had earlier filed an appeal urging the appellate court to overturn two of Merchan’s rulings that upheld Trump’s conviction while also asking for a delay in sentencing.
Legal Battle Over Sentencing
As per the sources of Leaders team, Merchan had previously dismissed Trump’s efforts to throw out his conviction on the grounds of his re-election, making it clear that the Friday sentencing would not include jail time. Trump’s attorneys argued that the sentencing should be postponed until immunity appeals tied to his presidency are resolved.
In their filing, Trump’s lawyers stated:
“The Court should vacate the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, and suspend all further deadlines in the case until President Trump’s immunity appeals are fully and finally resolved, which should result in a dismissal of this case, which should have never been brought in the first place.”
However, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office pushed back, asserting that Trump’s repeated delays had already extended the timeline of the case. They argued that completing the sentencing was necessary to allow the appeals process to proceed.
Prosecutors noted:
“The current schedule is entirely a function of defendant’s repeated requests to adjourn a sentencing date that was originally set for July 11, 2024; he should not now be heard to complain of harm from delays he caused.”
Background of the Case
Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The charges stemmed from payments made to his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who reimbursed a $130,000 hush money payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels. The payment was allegedly made to silence Daniels about an affair before the 2016 election—a claim Trump denies.
Trump’s sentencing was initially scheduled for July 2024 but was postponed following a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. Last month, Judge Merchan rejected Trump’s motion to dismiss the case based on the same immunity argument.
Broader Implications
In their appeal filed Monday, Trump’s lawyers warned that Merchan’s decisions could set a dangerous precedent for future presidents, arguing:
“Justice Merchan’s erroneous decisions threaten the institution of the Presidency and run squarely against established precedent disallowing any criminal process against a President-Elect, as well as prohibiting the use of evidence of a President’s official acts against him in a criminal proceeding.”
While Trump’s legal team has not yet asked the appellate court to intervene in Friday’s sentencing, they may take that step if Judge Merchan proceeds as planned.
Political Context
Trump’s legal troubles unfold against the backdrop of his political resurgence. On Monday, Congress certified his victory in the 2024 presidential election during a joint session presided over by Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
As the sentencing approaches, the case highlights the intersection of Trump’s political return and his ongoing legal battles, making this a pivotal moment in U.S. legal and political history.
