Justice Juan Merchan had already rejected Trump’s request to dismiss the case.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s attempt to delay a previously scheduled Jan. 10 sentencing date over his conviction for falsifying business records.
“This court has considered Defendant’s arguments in support of his motion and finds that they are—for the most part—a repetition of the arguments he has raised numerous times in the past,” Merchan said in his decision on Jan. 6.
In a filing submitted earlier that day, Trump’s attorneys argued that the president-elect’s pursuit of an appeal meant proceedings in the court should be automatically stayed.
“In the alternative, even if such a stay were discretionary, the court should grant such a stay,” the filing read.
Trump’s request was made on Jan. 6, just days after Merchan’s Jan. 3 decision to reject Trump’s request to dismiss the case.
Merchan said in his Jan. 3 order that he wasn’t inclined to impose a prison term on the president-elect.
Citing concerns about presidential immunity, he also said that “a sentence of unconditional discharge appears to be the most viable solution to ensure finality and allow the defendant to pursue his appellate options.”
This is a developing news story and will be updated.