5-4: Two Republican-Appointed Supreme Court Justices Agree With Democrat Appointees in Allowing Trump Sentencing to Proceed
Fred Lucas /
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to block a New York court from sentencing President-elect Donald Trump in the “hush money” case involving porn star Stormy Daniels.
A Manhattan jury convicted Trump on 34 counts of fraud in relation to the case last spring in a prosecution led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
New York Justice Juan Merchan is scheduled to hand down a sentence on Friday for the former and future president.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, both Republican appointees, joined the three Democratic appointees Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson in determining the sentencing would not be an undue burden since it would go through the normal appeals process.
“First, the alleged evidentiary violations at president-elect Trump’s state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal,” the order from the high court says. “Second, the burden that sentencing will impose on the president-elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose a sentence of ‘unconditional discharge’ after a brief virtual hearing.”
Also, the majority noted that Merchan indicated the sentence would not involve jail time, a fine, nor probation.
Trump blasted Merchan in a Truth Social post Thursday, but seemed to hold his fire on the Supreme Court majority.
“I appreciate the time and effort of the United States Supreme Court in trying to remedy the great injustice done to me by the highly conflicted ‘Acting Justice,’ who should not have been allowed to try this case,” the president-elect wrote.
“Every Legal Scholar stated, unequivocally, that this is a case that should never have been brought,” he added. “There was no case against me. In other words, I am innocent of all of the Judge’s made up, fake charges.”
“This was nothing other than Weaponization of our Justice System against a Political Opponent,” the president-elect continued. “It’s called Lawfare, and nothing like this has ever happened in the United States of America, and it should never be allowed to happen again. To this day, this highly political and corrupt Judge has put a gag order on me, which takes away my First Amendment right to speak about very important aspects of the case. For the sake and sanctity of the Presidency, I will be appealing this case, and am confident that JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL. The pathetic, dying remnants of the Witch Hunts against me will not distract us as we unite and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh—all Republican appointees—would have delayed the sentencing, according to the order.