In a ruling that should surprise exactly no one, Monday afternoon, Judge Juan Merchan ruled on President-elect Donald Trump’s motion to stay sentencing in his Manhattan criminal case.
Advertisement
As RedState reported earlier on Monday, Trump’s legal team filed a motion asking Merchan to delay the sentencing — currently set for January 10 — while Trump pursues an appeal on the immunity issue and on the court’s denial of his motion to dismiss based on his reelection. In that motion, Trump’s lawyers indicated they would be filing the appeal Monday, as well.
Trump Speaks Out on Judge Merchan, Sentencing Hearing in NY Case
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office filed its reply Monday opposing Trump’s motion.
“The Court should deny defendant’s motion for an immediate stay and should proceed to sentencing as scheduled on January 10, 2025,” the DA’s office wrote in its response Monday.
Merchan wasted little time in ruling on the motion and, as expected, denied the request.
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: As I predicted Merchan denied Trump’s Motion to Stay the sentencing. 1/ pic.twitter.com/YvMKlM0v5d
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) January 6, 2025
In his order, Merchan stated:
This Court has considered Defendant‘s arguments in support of his motion and finds that they are for the most part, a repetition of the arguments he has raised numerous times in the past, including in his criminal procedure law (“CPL”) §330.30(1) motion to vacate his conviction and dismiss the indictment; and his “Clayton Motion” to dismiss in the interests of justice, both of which this Court denied by Decision and Order dated December 16, 2024 and January 3, 2025, respectively.
Further, this court finds that the authorities relied upon in the instant motion by the Defendant are for the most part, factually distinguishable from the actual record or legally inapplicable.
THEREFORE, Defendant‘s motion for a stay of these proceedings, including the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, is hereby DENIED.
Advertisement
Assuming Trump’s team files/has filed the appeal with the Appellate Division, they likely will ask that court for an emergency stay of Friday’s proceedings as well, but if I were placing bets on it, I’d put my money on the sentencing going forward on Friday.
