The case of Trump’s conviction of felony charges of filing false records to conceal payments to an adult film star: A Manhattan prosecutor challenges the supreme court’s decision
Lawyers for Trump asked the Supreme Court to stay proceedings in the New York trial court because they didn’t want the presidency and federal government to be in harm’s way.
The judge in New York said that he intended to discharge the former president from all prosecutions, meaning that he wouldn’t have to pay any fines or prison time.
The first time a president was found guilty of a criminal charge, was when Trump was in office.
Trump has argued that as president-elect he is immune from all prosecution and sentencing, after the Supreme Court last summer ruled that presidents enjoy broad immunity from prosecution.
In response, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case, said that a sentencing before inauguration would preserve the sanctity of the jury’s verdict and the law.
Bragg also warned that any delay would risk punting proceedings for years, until Trump finishes his second presidential term — which would be unfair since Trump himself asked for multiple delays in sentencing.
The sentencing was delayed multiple times to avoid the perception of political bias ahead of the election and to allow Trump’s team to argue the case should be dismissed. The claims were rejected by Merchan.
The prosecutor on the case was accused of having political motives, and Trump’s lawyers argued that appellate courts should weigh in on the presidential immunity claims.
The former president is due to appear in a Manhattan courtroom for his sentencing on felony charges of filing false records to conceal payments to an adult film star.
“There’s nothing else that the defendant has to do, and therefore it’s the least restrictive in terms of how it could impede in any way on the president-elect as he takes office,” Anna Cominsky, director of the criminal defense clinic at New York Law School, said about the expected sentence of an unconditional discharge.
It makes sense for the sentencing to be put off so that we can look forward to the next four years and not have to worry about it. There has to be an end.
The jury unanimously agreed that Trump lied about the business dealings of himself and his associates to cover up the payment to Daniels before the election.
The conviction didn’t seem to affect his popularity or electoral victory during the presidential election. He used legal drama to raise money for his campaign.
