NEW YORK (AP) 69制片厂制作传媒 remains on track to be sentenced this week in his hush money case after a judge on Monday denied his request to halt proceedings while he appeals .
Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan ordered sentencing to , a little more than a week before Trump69制片厂制作传媒檚 inauguration. The judge rejected a push by Trump's lawyers to postpone it indefinitely while they ask a state appeals court to reverse .
Trump, on course to be the first president to take office convicted of crimes, can still ask the appeals court to delay sentencing or seek to have another court intervene. His lawyers have previously suggested taking the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump's lawyers have told Merchan that if his sentencing happens, he will appear by video rather than in person. The judge had given him the option, acceding to the demands of the presidential transition process.
denied Trump69制片厂制作传媒檚 bid to throw out his conviction and dismiss the case because of his impending return to the White House, but signaled he is not likely to sentence the Republican to any punishment for his conviction on .
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform after Merchan ruled that it 69制片厂制作传媒渨ould be the end of the Presidency as we know it69制片厂制作传媒 if it is allowed to stand.
Trump69制片厂制作传媒檚 lawyers, who are also challenging Merchan69制片厂制作传媒檚 prior refusal to toss the case on grounds, Monday in the appellate division of the state69制片厂制作传媒檚 trial court. No arguments have been scheduled.
69制片厂制作传媒淭oday, President Trump69制片厂制作传媒檚 legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.69制片厂制作传媒檚 Witch Hunt,69制片厂制作传媒 Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said. 69制片厂制作传媒淭he Supreme Court69制片厂制作传媒檚 historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed.69制片厂制作传媒
Trump's lawyers did not immediately ask the appeals court to halt Trump's sentencing.
In a separate filing with Merchan, they argued that the appeal should automatically pause the case. If it didn't, they said he should step in and do it himself 69制片厂制作传媒 an idea he rejected.
Manhattan prosecutors had urged Merchan to proceed with sentencing as scheduled, 69制片厂制作传媒済iven the strong public interest in prompt prosecution and the finality of criminal proceedings.69制片厂制作传媒
Prosecutors blamed Trump for pushing his sentencing to the brink of his second term by repeatedly seeking to postpone his sentencing, originally scheduled for July.
69制片厂制作传媒淗e should not now be heard to complain of harm from delays he caused,69制片厂制作传媒 they wrote in a court filing Monday afternoon, hours before Merchan ruled.
Any delay in sentencing could run out the clock on closing the case before Trump69制片厂制作传媒檚 second term begins Jan. 20.
The Justice Department69制片厂制作传媒檚 Office of Legal Counsel, which provides legal advice and guidance to federal agencies, has maintained that a sitting president is immune from criminal proceedings. If sentencing doesn't happen before Trump is sworn in, waiting until he leaves office in 2029 69制片厂制作传媒渕ay become the only viable option,69制片厂制作传媒 Merchan said .
If sentencing proceeds on Friday as scheduled, Trump69制片厂制作传媒檚 lawyers argued, he will be appealing the verdict while in office and will be 69制片厂制作传媒渇orced to deal with criminal proceedings for years to come.69制片厂制作传媒 They raised an improbable scenario in which, if Trump wins his appeal, he could be then subjected to another criminal trial while in office.
In upholding the verdict and rejecting Trump's bids for dismissal, Merchan wrote that the interests of justice would only be served by 69制片厂制作传媒渂ringing finality to this matter69制片厂制作传媒 through sentencing. He said giving Trump what69制片厂制作传媒檚 known as an unconditional discharge 69制片厂制作传媒 closing the case without jail time, a fine or probation 69制片厂制作传媒 69制片厂制作传媒渁ppears to be the most viable solution.69制片厂制作传媒
Trump's lawyers were unmoved, arguing that the 69制片厂制作传媒渕eritless case69制片厂制作传媒 was fostered by "numerous legal errors," including rulings by Merchan they say flew in the face of the last July that granted presidents broad immunity from prosecution.
69制片厂制作传媒淭he Court69制片厂制作传媒檚 non-binding preview of its current thinking regarding a hypothetical sentencing does not mitigate these bedrock federal constitutional violations,69制片厂制作传媒 defense lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote.
Trump has both of them for high-ranking Justice Department positions.
Trump will have an opportunity to speak at his sentencing, as will his lawyers and prosecutors. He can only appeal the verdict after he is sentenced.
The charges involved an alleged scheme to hide to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the last weeks of Trump69制片厂制作传媒檚 2016 campaign to keep her from publicizing claims she69制片厂制作传媒檇 had sex with him years earlier. He says that her story is false and that he did nothing wrong.
The case centered on how Trump accounted for reimbursing his then-personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who had made the payment to Daniels. The conviction carried the possibility of punishment ranging from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison.
Cohen, a key prosecution witness who had previously called for Trump to be put in prison, said that 69制片厂制作传媒渂ased upon all of the intervening circumstances69制片厂制作传媒 Merchan69制片厂制作传媒檚 decision to sentence Trump without punishment 69制片厂制作传媒渋s both judicious and appropriate.69制片厂制作传媒
Trump69制片厂制作传媒檚 sentencing initially was set for last July 11, then at the defense69制片厂制作传媒檚 request. After Trump69制片厂制作传媒檚 Nov. 5 election, Merchan so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case.
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