Trump Seeks Immediate Stay to Halt Sentencing in Hush Money Case

What Happened?

President-elect Donald Trump is seeking an immediate stay to halt a judge's ruling for sentencing in his hush money case.

Trump and his legal team signaled in court filings Monday that they’ll appeal Judge Juan Merchan’s rulings that sentencing is scheduled for on Friday, Jan. 10.

Judge Merchan wrote in his Jan. 3 ruling that the 'most viable solution' was to sentence Trump to an unconditional discharge — closing the case without jail time, a fine, or probation.

He also denied Trump's request to vacate the verdict.

But Trump's legal team argues the sentencing must be postponed while they appeal and higher courts weigh the immunity claims.

They asked Judge Merchan to inform them by Monday afternoon of his decision 'to allow sufficient time for President Trump to seek an emergency appellate review.'

The New York jury's May verdict found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business documents to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.

The historic verdict, if it stands, would reportedly put Trump on course to be the first president to take office convicted of felony crimes.

Trump said in a recent social media post that if allowed to stand it 'would be the end of the Presidency as we know it.'

Why it Matters

The announcement comes not long after a federal appeals court upheld a jury’s verdict finding Trump liable in a $5 million civil judgment for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.

Trump also intends to appeal that verdict which claimed he defamed Carroll by denying her story when she came forward during his first presidential term.

His request for a new trial was denied despite reportedly alleging the trial judge made numerous errors.

Those alleged errors included two testimonies allowed from two other women who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by him.

It is a challenging scenario as Trump is set to take office with pending lawsuits he's still a defendant of in federal court.

How it Affects You

For the incoming administration, the quick resolution of these cases will be important to shift focus on current events involving the U.S.

Trump's hands will be full trying to push negotiations during ongoing global war conflicts, rise in inflation, and immigration decisions along the U.S. border.

The outcome of these cases may still result in the U.S. Supreme Court firmly intervening and deciding on the fate of these rulings for an incoming president of the United States.