President-elect Trump filed an emergency petition with the United States Supreme Court on Wednesday morning in an attempt to block his conviction in New York v. Trump.
Judge Juan Merchan set Trump’s sentencing in the case of New York v. Trump for January 10, after a jury found the now president-elect guilty of first-degree falsifying corporate records, stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin’s investigation Bragg. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges and has appealed the verdict, but was dismissed by Merchan last week.
NEW YORK JUDGE SET TRUMP SENTENCING DAYS BEFORE INAUGURATION
“President Trump’s legal team has filed an emergency petition with the United States Supreme Court, asking it to correct the unjust actions of the New York courts and to halt the unlawful conviction in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Witch Hunt ,” said Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven. Cheung told Fox News Digital.
“The Supreme Court’s historic decision on immunity, the Constitution, and the established legal precedent mandate that this worthless hoax must be immediately dismissed.”
Cheung said the “American people elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate that demands an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and all remaining witch hunts.”
He added: “We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again.”
Former President Donald Trump attends the first day of his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 15. Judge Juan Merchan poses for a photo in his chambers on March 14 in New York. (Angela Weiss/AFP via AP, POOL/AP)
TRUMP FILES MOTION TO STAY ‘WRONG CONVICTION’ IN NEW YORK CASE
Trump’s attorneys said in their petition to the Supreme Court that it should “immediately order a stay of pending criminal cases in the Supreme Court of New York County, New York, pending final resolution of President Trump’s summary judgment motion, which raises issues of presidential immunity. also in this Court if necessary.”
“The Court should also, if necessary, impose a temporary administrative stay while it considers this stay petition,” the filing said.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrives at Daniel Penny’s trial after a lunch break at the Manhattan Supreme Criminal Court building on Monday, December 2, 2024, in New York City. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)
Trump lawyers also argued that New York prosecutors improperly admitted extensive evidence related to official presidential actions during the trial, ignoring the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity.
The Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that presidents are immune from prosecution related to official presidential actions.
Trump’s legal team argues that Merchan should not be allowed to proceed further, saying their appeal of the ruling “will ultimately result in the dismissal of the district attorney’s politically motivated prosecution, which has been ongoing from the very beginning was flawed and focused on tortious acts and false claims made by a disgraced, disbarred former lawyer who was a serial liar, violated President Trump’s due process rights and had no merit whatsoever.”
“In the meantime, the New York District Court does not have the authority to impose judgment on President Trump — or to bring further criminal proceedings against him — until the resolution of his underlying appeal establishes substantial claims of presidential immunity, including through review in this Court. as necessary,” the filing said. “As discussed herein, this Court should order an immediate stay of the criminal proceedings against President Trump in New York State Court, including but not limited to the criminal sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.”
New York must submit a written response by 10 a.m. Thursday
JUDGE DENIES TRUMP MOTION TO STOP CRIMINAL CASES IN NY
The filing with the United States Supreme Court comes after a judge in New York on Tuesday denied Trump’s request to suspend the January 10 sentencing, which is currently set for Friday, January 10 at 9:30 a.m.
US Supreme Court Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Merchan set the sentencing date last week but said he would not sentence the president-elect to prison.
Merchan wrote in his decision that he will likely not impose “any jail time,” but rather a sentence of “unconditional discharge,” meaning no penalty will be imposed.
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Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on January 20.
Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and has repeatedly protested it as an example of “litigation” being promoted by Democrats in an effort to damage his election efforts ahead of November.
Shannon Bream and Bill Mears of Fox News contributed to this report.
