President-elect Donald Trump has lost an emergency bid to push off a sentencing in a Manhattan “hush money” case, according to a Tuesday ruling.
Lawyers for Trump, 78, filed a colossal, 502-page lawsuit with the First Judicial Department appellate court in an effort to stop the Jan. 10 sentencing hearing from going forward — just 10 days before Trump’s second inauguration as president.
But after 30 minutes of arguments from Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors in the downtown Manhattan courthouse Tuesday afternoon, Associate Justice Ellen Gesmer issued a ruling rejecting the last-minute request to pause the sentencing.
“After consideration of the papers submitted and the extensive oral argument, movant’s application for an interim stay is denied,” Gesmer wrote in a brief order.
Judge Juan Merchan on Monday rejected Trump’s effort to postpone the hearing on presidential immunity grounds, saying the date would go forward Friday.
The real estate mogul-turned-politician was convicted of 34 felonies for trying to cover up that he doled out payoffs to keep alleged sex scandals under wraps in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
Merchan has already said he plans to give Trump the most lenient sentence possible – no jail time, fine or probation.
Trump can’t appeal to overturn the conviction until the sentencing is complete.
A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said prosecutors plan to oppose the delay bid.
