According to multiple reports, the Supreme Court will not stop Judge Merchan from sentencing President-elect Donald Trump in his Manhattan “hush money” case.
Five Justices denied Team Trump’s bid to stop the sentencing. Merchan has already revealed there will be no jail time, fine, or probation for the incoming POTUS.
“The application for stay presented to Justice Sotomayor and by her referred to the Court is denied for, inter alia, the following reasons. First, the alleged evidentiary violations at President-Elect Trump’s state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal,” the order states.
“Second, the burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose a sentence of unconditional discharge’ after a brief virtual hearing,” the court ruled.
The order also noted that “Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, Justice Gorsuch, and Justice Kavanaugh would grant the application.”
CBS News reported:
The Supreme Court rejected a last-ditch effort by lawyers for President-elect Donald Trump to forestall his sentencing for his New York criminal conviction.
The five-justice majority that voted to deny Trump’s application wrote that the evidentiary issues Trump has complained about “can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal.”
They also noted that the judge overseeing Trump’s New York case has signaled he will not sentence Trump to serve any time in jail, writing “the burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose a sentence of ‘unconditional discharge’ after a brief virtual hearing.”
Trump reacted to the SCOTUS news in a post on TRUTH Social, saying the following:
I appreciate the time and effort of the United States Supreme Court in trying to remedy the great injustice done to me by the highly conflicted “Acting Justice,” who should not have been allowed to try this case. Every Legal Scholar stated, unequivocally, that this is a case that should never have been brought. There was no case against me. In other words, I am innocent of all of the Judge’s made up, fake charges. This was nothing other than Weaponization of our Justice System against a Political Opponent. It’s called Lawfare, and nothing like this has ever happened in the United States of America, and it should never be allowed to happen again. To this day, this highly political and corrupt Judge has put a gag order on me, which takes away my First Amendment right to speak about very important aspects of the case. For the sake and sanctity of the Presidency, I will be appealing this case, and am confident that JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL. The pathetic, dying remnants of the Witch Hunts against me will not distract us as we unite and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Trump is expected to appear virtually for his sentencing scheduled for 9:30 am Friday.
