Legal Drama Escalates: Donald Trump’s Sentencing on the Horizon

Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20, is scheduled to face sentencing on Friday. Upon sentencing, he will be officially recognized as a convicted felon.

Trump’s attorneys, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, announced their intention to file an appeal on Monday, challenging two previous rulings that dismissed the case on immunity grounds.

In a request submitted in New York on Sunday, the attorneys argued that the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling from last year prevent sentencing while Trump is actively appealing.

In a critique of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Blanche and Bove argued on Monday that the case should be dismissed and the sentencing halted immediately, claiming the matter was “flawed from the very beginning” and based on the false claims of a disbarred attorney.

New York Judge Juan Merchan, in a ruling on December 16, rejected Trump’s presidential immunity arguments, stating that the evidence used to convict Trump was related to “unofficial conduct,” and the Supreme Court had allowed for prosecution of unofficial acts.

In May, a jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal an alleged affair with adult film actor Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

Evidence and testimony from Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, revealed how Cohen coordinated the cover-up of a $130,000 payment to Daniels to prevent the news from becoming public.

Legal Drama Escalates: Donald Trump’s Sentencing on the Horizon

Despite his conviction, Trump continues to assert his innocence.

Judge Merchan, in his December ruling, stated that falsifying business records “poses no danger of intrusion on the authority and function of the executive branch.”

The judge ordered Trump to appear for sentencing, allowing him to “avail himself of every available appeal,” but the sentencing hearing would proceed. Merchan suggested issuing a sentence of “unconditional discharge,” which imposes no fines or prison time, typically used when no practical punishment is available.

Trump’s lawyers requested a response from the judge by 2 p.m. on Monday, indicating they would seek an emergency appellate review if none was received.

In addition to vacating the sentencing hearing scheduled for this week, they requested that all further deadlines in the case be “fully and finally resolved.”

Trump’s sentencing in the criminal hush money case was initially set for July but was postponed multiple times by Merchan to allow the Supreme Court to consider his immunity arguments and due to demands from Trump’s presidential campaign.

When contacted for comment on Monday, a spokesperson for Trump described the case as a “witch hunt,” echoing Trump’s stance on legal matters involving him.

“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 of the remaining Witch Hunts. We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again,” said spokesman Steven Cheung.