On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers reportedly requested that a New York appeals court overturn a judge’s decision to set Trump’s hush money sentence for Friday.
They also stated that they will appeal Judge Juan Merchan’s decision not to dismiss the case on the basis of presidential immunity.
If the sentencing is postponed past January 20, the day of Trump’s inauguration, he will be exempt from the criminal proceedings.
The attorneys requested Merchan to let them know by Monday afternoon if he would allow sufficient time for President Trump to seek emergency appellate review.
Merchan recognized that if the sentencing was postponed beyond the inauguration, punishment after his departure from office in 2029 may become the only viable option.
He stated that he wanted to sentence Trump to a “unconditional discharge,” which would mean the case would be closed without any jail time, fines, or probation.
“Today, President Trump’s legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt. The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed.” Steven Cheung a spokesman for the president elect stated.
Last week, Judge Merchan decided that Trump’s conviction in the case in which his former attorney, Michael Cohen, paid $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election could stand because he had been elected president.
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