U.S. Supreme Court Turns Down Request To Delay Sentencing in New York Trump Case
8.9.2024
The U.S. Supreme Court this week turned down a request by Missouri’s attorney general to delay the scheduled sentencing in September of former President Trump for his conviction on dozens of felony counts in the hush money trial in New York City.
Missouri’s attorney general, Andrew Bailey, a Republican, filed a lawsuit on July 3 against New York State, petitioning the high court to postpone Trump’s pending sentencing hearing on the campaign finance bookkeeping case as well as the gag order placed on him by state Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan.
The argument – joined by attorneys general in Florida, Iowa, Montana, and Alaska in amicus briefs – alleged that the case against Trump infringed on the right of voters under the U.S. Constitution to hear from the Republican presidential nominee in this fall’s campaign.
This did not persuade the court. The order from the Supreme Court was unsigned, but media reports indicate Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito suggested they would have taken up Missouri’s case, though they were not certain they would have granted the relief requested.
During his press conference today at his home near Palm Beach, Fla., Trump was asked by national reporters his view on the ongoing legal battle in New York, including the 34 felony convictions in Justice Merchan’s court.
“They’ve weaponized cases against me,” the former president said. “This is all politics and it is a disgrace. It happens in third world countries and banana republics.”
The legal loss was a setback for supporters of Trump, though the Supreme Court last month gave the former president other legal victories, including a ruling on presidential immunity, which is likely to influence the final disposition of the New York cases.
Editor’s Note: Gene Koprowski, a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Communications and Publications, writes about the federal courts and other national issues for the association.
