The United States Supreme Court has indicated that a sentencing ruling could be made today, Friday, in the case involving Donald Trump, the newly elected president, allegedly bribing a porn star. On Thursday, the court issued an order stating that five justices were in favor and four were against (5-4).
Prior to this order, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s emergency request to delay the sentencing process. This situation sets the stage for him to be convicted just days before his inauguration as the President of the United States on January 20.
On Thursday, four conservative justices—Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh—expressed that they would have accepted Donald Trump’s request. However, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the three other liberal justices of the Supreme Court in opposing him.
Earlier this month, Judge Juan Marchan of New York’s Manhattan court had indicated that a sentencing would be announced for Trump today. However, he suggested that Trump would likely not face any form of punishment or imprisonment.
A hearing on the sentencing of Donald Trump is scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM local time today. According to a source involved in the process, the elected President Trump will participate virtually from Mar-a-Lago.
Legal experts view Trump’s request to the Supreme Court as rare, as the highest court typically intervenes only in exceptional cases when local court appeals in criminal matters have not been fully resolved at the state level. Trump’s appeal against a local court ruling in the case involving bribing a porn star is still ongoing. Additionally, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has argued that the Supreme Court does not have the authority to hear Trump’s request to delay the sentencing process.
Trump’s defense attorneys argued that continuing the case during his presidential term would hinder his ability to govern. However, Judge Juan Marchan rejected this argument, stating that bypassing the jury’s verdict would severely undermine the rule of law.
In the context, the criminal case regarding the hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up an affair is ongoing in Manhattan court for Donald Trump. In May of last year, he was found guilty in the case.
In the case, Stormy Daniels accused Trump of having a sexual encounter with her at a hotel in Nevada in 2006. To ensure she didn’t disclose the incident, Trump paid her $130,000 through his personal attorney 10 years later, in 2016. At that time, Trump was running as the Republican Party’s candidate in the U.S. presidential election. He also concealed the payment in his business records.
However, Trump has consistently denied the allegations of an affair and hush money with Stormy Daniels. He claims that these actions were politically motivated, orchestrated by the Biden administration to prevent his entry into the White House.
Trump is the first U.S. president to face criminal trial. In the case, a Manhattan district court judge found him guilty in May of last year. After his conviction, the initial sentencing was set for July 11. However, it has been delayed multiple times.
