In a 5-4 decision announced late on Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s bid to delay his sentencing in the New York Citycriminal coverup of hush money payments, cementing his status as a convicted felon when he assumes the presidency on January 20. Chief Justice John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, denying Trump’s emergency request dismissing his claim that president-elect immunity shields him from criminal proceedings. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.
The conviction stems from Trump’s May guilty verdict on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to bisexual adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argued that sentencing should proceed to avoid more complex legal hurdles once Trump becomes president. Trump will be sentenced Friday morning in New York, with Judge Juan Merchan expected to impose an unconditional discharge — a minimal sentence that spares Trump prison, fines, or probation but leaves the felony conviction intact.
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