Listen To Story Above
President Trump’s legal team escalated their fight against Judge Merchan’s ruling on Wednesday, petitioning the Supreme Court to intervene and halt the upcoming sentencing in New York City.
The emergency filing comes as the scheduled sentencing looms just 48 hours away on Friday. Earlier this week, Judge Juan Merchan rejected attempts to postpone the sentencing in the “hush money” case against the former president, which is set to occur merely ten days before Trump’s anticipated return to the White House.
President Trump's appeal is now published at SCOTUS – request to delay sentencing on Jan 10th on the hush money case.
The classic phrase – "Sentence First – verdict afterwards." quoting the book Alice in Wonderland.
Amazing. Future proves past. pic.twitter.com/WbNgaXlmfJ
— Jack Lee (@JLee2028) January 8, 2025
In explaining his decision, Judge Merchan wrote, “This Court has considered Defendant’s arguments in support of his motion and finds that they are, for the most part, a repetition of the arguments he has raised numerous times in the past, including in his Criminal Procedure Law (‘CPL’) S 330.30(1) motion to vacate his conviction and dismiss the indictment; and his ‘Clayton Modon’ to dismiss in the interests of justice, both of which this Court denied by Decision and Order dated December 16, 2024 and January 3, 2025, respectively.”
The judge added, “Further, this Court Frnds that the authorities relied upon in the instant motion by the Defendant are, for the most part, factually distinguishable from the actual record or legally inapplicable.”
Throughout the 2024 campaign, Merchan’s courtroom became a centerpiece of controversy in the proceedings against Trump. The case culminated in May when Trump faced conviction on all 34 felony counts, stemming from allegations he made payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford, through his former attorney Michael Cohen. The payments were allegedly intended to prevent the National Enquirer from publishing stories about their alleged relationship.
#BreakingNews. Just announced: Judge Merchan delays President Trump’s New York trial sentencing until after the election-Nov, 26th.
aka the Stormy Daniels "hush money" case. pic.twitter.com/d7dGQsrTlB
— Eddie (@Eddies_X) September 6, 2024
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s office pursued the case based on claims that labeling the payments as “legal fees” constituted fraud – an unprecedented prosecution that saw misdemeanor charges elevated to felony status. The prosecution secured swift convictions on charges that many legal experts have questioned.
The case has faced additional scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest, with Trump’s legal team repeatedly calling for Merchan’s recusal due to his daughter Loren Merchan’s political consulting work. Her firm reportedly generated substantial revenue connected to her father’s case against the former president.
Critics argue the prosecution represents a concerning precedent in the American justice system, with some calling for investigations into both Judge Merchan and DA Bragg’s handling of the case.
