Roommates, apparently Donald Trump he couldn't get out of this! On Thursday (January 9), New York's highest court refused to block the president-elect's sentence in his hush money case. The verdict is scheduled for Friday.
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Donald Trump's lawyers argued THIS about the Hush Money case
A New York Court of Appeals judge issued a brief injunction refusing to grant a hearing to Trump's legal team. So now, the US Supreme Court will be his last chance to prevent a hearing in the hush money case from happening. according to The Associated PressTrump has already asked the Supreme Court to overturn Friday's ruling. His lawyers appealed to the nation's highest court on Wednesday after New York courts refused to delay the ruling.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Judge Juan M. Merchan. Merchan was also the leader Trump's trial and conviction last May, 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
In a filing in New York's highest court, Donald Trump's lawyers said Merchan and the state's middle appeals court "erroneously failed" to stay the ruling. His team argued that the Constitution requires an automatic stay while they appeal. His lawyers also said the ruling would disrupt the presidential transition. The president-elect is preparing to return to the White House on January 20.
Remember that judge Merchan he has already said shall not impose prison terms, fines or probation. However, Trump's lawyers argued that a felony conviction would have side effects, including distracting the president-elect during his transition.
Trump's lawyer, D. John Sauer, said the case is politically motivated and that a sentence now would be a "gross injustice." Sauer is also Trump's pick for attorney general, who represents the government before the high court.
Trump's lawyers have also argued that the evidence used in the Manhattan trial violated last summer's Supreme Court ruling. That ruling gave Trump broad immunity from prosecution for actions he took as president. They said the sentence should be stayed while their appeals play out the immunity issue.
Prosecutors and Court Judges Oppose Trump's Legal Team
However, prosecutors and appeals court judges contested those accounts. The prosecutor argued that there was no reason to take the "unusual step" of stopping the case. They also said Trump's claims are not strong enough to overturn his conviction. They also argue that his appeal should not freeze the case because it is evidence rather than the underlying charges.
"There is a compelling public interest in continuing the sentence," Manhattan prosecutors wrote. "The defendant has failed to provide any protection because his role as presiding judge precludes him from attending a trial that will probably last no more than an hour."
Meanwhile, New York judges have found Trump's convictions related to personal matters and inconsistent with the Supreme Court's immunity ruling.
Trump's legal team filed an emergency motion with US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Hears emergency appeals from New York.
Associated Press reporters MICHAEL HILL, MICHAEL R. SISAK and LINDSAY WHITEHURST contributed to this report.
What do you think Roomies?
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