President-elect Donald Trump has petitioned the Supreme Court to pause his upcoming sentencing scheduled for Friday, January 10, 2025, and review whether the guilty verdict in his Manhattan criminal trial should be overturned. Trump argues that the verdict violates presidential immunity granted by a previous Supreme Court ruling and raises questions about immunity for presidents-elect.
The request follows a New York appeals court ruling that rejected Trump’s plea to delay the proceedings. Trump’s legal team asserts that evidence used in the trial breached his immunity as a former president and president-elect. If the Supreme Court takes up the case, it could delay sentencing until after Trump’s inauguration.
Judge Juan Merchan, overseeing the case, has indicated he may impose minimal penalties, such as an unconditional discharge or a fine, but no prison sentence. Trump, convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, plans to attend sentencing virtually if it proceeds as scheduled.