The US Supreme Court has rejected Donald Trump’s bid to delay the sentencing of his hush-money case, with the President-elect now set to learn his fate in less than 24 hours.
Mr Trump asked the Supreme Court to delay the sentencing which falls just 10 days before he enters the White House, arguing it would distract from the “presidential transition”.
US President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced in Manhattan on Friday. Picture: Getty Images via AFP
However, on Thursday local time, five out of the nine justices in the US Supreme Court ruled that the sentencing delay should be rejected — enough for a majority — and go ahead on Friday local time as planned.
“First, the alleged evidentiary violations at President-Elect Trump’s state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal,” the ruling stated, laying out the first of two reasons why the incoming president’s petition was denied.
“Second, the burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose a sentence of ‘unconditional discharge’ after a brief virtual hearing.”
The US Supreme Court rejected the delay in a 5-4 ruling. Picture: Seth Wenig / POOL / AFP
The result was surprising given the Supreme Court is dominated by conservative judges —three of which were appointed by Mr Trump during his first term.
Mr Trump will now be sentenced at 9.30am local time on Friday in Lower Manhattan — that’s 1.30am on Saturday AEDT.
Speaking at a news conference from his Mar-a-Lago estate shortly after the decision, Mr Trump attacked the case and said he would be appealing the convictions.
The court said Trump’s concerns could be handled “in the ordinary course on appeal.”. Picture: Mandel Ngan / AFP
“Frankly it’s a disgrace,” he said about the case.
“So I’ll do my little thing tomorrow. So, we’ll see how it all works out. I think it’s going to work out well.
“This is a long way from finished. And I respect the court’s opinion. It was a, I think it was actually a very good opinion for us because you saw what they said. But they invited the appeal, and the appeal is on the bigger issue.”
Mr Trump has now launched four unsuccessful bids to delay the sentencing.
The original New York Judge who convicted Mr Trump – Judge Juan M. Merchan – knocked back the request last Thursday, before failed bids at the New York’s Appellate Division, New York’s Court of Appeals, and now the US Supreme Court.
During Tuesday’s emergency hearing in New York’s Court of Appeals, Judge Ellen Gesmer questioned Mr Trump’s attorney’s argument that his client wasn’t able to be sentenced as he had to the same immunity from criminal proceedings as a president.
“Do you have any support for the notion that presidential immunity extends to presidents elect?” Judge Gesmer asked.
“There has never been a case like this, so no,” Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche replied.
Stormy Daniels. Picture: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for XBIZ Awards
Mr Trump was convicted over $13,000 of hush money given to the porn actor. Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Mr Trump has previously indicated his plans to appear virtually if the sentencing were to go ahead.
The decision means Mr Trump will be sentenced for 34 felony counts of falsifying records in a bid to cover up a sex scandal that endangered his 2016 presidential campaign.
Mr Trump was convicted over $13,000 of hush money given to porn actor Stormy Daniels, however, the President-elect denies any liaison with Daniels or any wrongdoing.
Judge Merchan has previously said he will not impose jail time, fines or prohibitions in his sentencing, however, described Trump’s actions as a “premeditated and continuous deception by the leader of the free world.”
Mr Trump must wait until he is sentenced to lodge an appeal of the convictions.
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