President Trump filed an emergency petition with the United States Supreme Court on Wednesday morning, seeking to block his sentencing, set for Friday, in New York v. Trump.
UPDATE: The Supreme Court rejected Trump’s petition. President Trump will be sentenced tomorrow.
Judge Merchan scheduled Trump’s sentencing for January 10, days before Trump’s inauguration, after rejecting multiple appeals, including one citing presidential immunity. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and continues to call the case a “politically motivated witch hunt.”
In the emergency petition, Trump’s legal team requested the Supreme Court “immediately order a stay of pending criminal proceedings” in New York state court, arguing that unresolved questions regarding presidential immunity must first be addressed. They also asked for a temporary administrative stay while the Court considers their request.
Trump’s attorneys contend that New York prosecutors improperly introduced evidence at trial related to official presidential acts, violating Trump’s constitutional protections. They argue that Judge Merchan has no authority to proceed with sentencing until the Supreme Court resolves these immunity claims.
The filing asserts that the case against Trump was flawed from the outset and violated his due process rights.
“The District Attorney’s politically motivated prosecution was centered on the wrongful actions and false claims of a disgraced, disbarred, serial-liar former attorney,” Trump’s legal team wrote, referencing Michael Cohen, a key witness in the case. “The trial court lacks authority to impose sentence or conduct further proceedings until the resolution of this appeal, which raises substantial claims of presidential immunity.”
The petition emphasizes that allowing the sentencing to proceed before the appeal is resolved would undermine the constitutional protections afforded to a president-elect and would irreparably harm Trump’s ability to exercise his duties upon assuming office.
The state of New York has until Thursday at 10:00 a.m. to file a response to Trump’s petition.
