President-elect Donald Trump’s attempt to postpone his sentencing in the Manhattan hush money case has been denied by a New York appeals court judge. Judge Ellen Gesmer rejected the request, maintaining the sentencing date of January 10, just ten days before Trump’s inauguration.
Trump’s legal team had filed a 502-page lawsuit seeking the delay, arguing that the jury’s verdict was “erroneous” due to the inclusion of evidence related to Trump’s official acts as president. They also contended that his “undisputed absolute immunity” should extend to his status as president-elect. However, during the proceedings, Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, acknowledged the lack of precedent for extending presidential immunity to a president-elect, stating, “There has never been a case like this before.”
Steven Wu, representing the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, emphasized the public interest in concluding the process promptly, stating, “If sentencing is to happen at all, now is the best time for it to happen.”
Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the trial, has indicated that he will issue an “unconditional discharge” at the sentencing, meaning Trump would not face imprisonment, fines, or probation. This would effectively close the case before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
In May, Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has consistently denied the charges, labeling the trial as politically motivated.
Despite the denial, Trump’s legal team retains the option to present their request to the full panel of the appeals court as they continue to challenge the conviction. They had proposed rescheduling the sentencing to January 27, a week after Trump’s inauguration, at which point presidential immunity could potentially halt further proceedings.