Judge Juan Merchan denies President-elect Donald Trump's request to postpone his sentencing hearing in "Hush Money" case
(MENAFN) On Monday, Judge Juan Merchan denied President-elect Donald Trump's request to postpone his sentencing hearing in the "Hush Money" case, which is set for January 10. In his ruling, Judge Merchan explained, "The defendant's request to delay these proceedings, including the sentencing hearing, is denied."
Earlier in the day, Trump's legal team had filed a motion seeking to delay the hearing, which was scheduled just ten days before his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on January 20. The defense cited the concept of presidential immunity and the requirements surrounding the inauguration. The case, which centers on Trump's "secret payment" to adult film star Stormy Daniels, first came to court in March 2023. He faced criminal charges from a Manhattan prosecutor for paying Daniels in 2016 to prevent her from disclosing details of an alleged affair that could have negatively impacted his presidential campaign.
This case marked the first time in U.S. history that a former president was criminally charged. In July, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the issue of presidential immunity, giving Trump's defense team an opportunity to appeal the conviction by arguing that presidential immunity provides protection from prosecution in certain circumstances. Judge Merchan, however, indicated that Trump would not face jail time, stating that the sentence would only involve "unconditional release," meaning there would be no additional sanctions imposed on the president-elect.
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