President-elect Donald Trump has asked a New York judge to stay the conviction in his money-laundering case, which is scheduled for January 10.
His lawyers announced Monday that Trump will appeal Judge Juan Murchan's decision ordering the sentencing to continue.
In court documents, Trump's lawyers wrote that they will seek “dismissal of this politically motivated charge that was wrong from the start.”
Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in May 2024, making him the first former president to be convicted of a felony.
The allegations stem from Trump's attempt to disguise a hush money refund to an adult movie star as legal expenses.
Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. His attorneys said the filing of the plea was intended to halt criminal proceedings in his case in New York.
The ruling has been postponed multiple times since the 2024 presidential election. and Trump's attempt to dismiss the case based on a claim of presidential immunity. Judge Murchan ultimately rejected the immunity argument in December.
On Jan. 3, Judge Murchan issued an order saying he would proceed with sentencing before Trump takes office, but wrote that he would not consider a prison sentence.
He ordered Trump to appear virtually or in person at the hearing.
“The American people elected President Trump with a sweeping mandate that demands an immediate end to the political weaponization of our judicial system and all remaining witch hunts,” said Stephen Cheng, a spokesman for Trump's presidential transition.
Trump's team has not publicly commented on whether the president-elect will be in court, but in its response Monday afternoon to the delay request, the Manhattan district attorney's office cited “the defendant's decision to appear for sentencing virtually, rather than in person.” personally”. The reference to a virtual hearing was repeated a few pages later.
In response, the district attorney asked the judge to deny Trump's request for an immediate stay of his sentence and said he would not be harmed by such a decision.
The weeks after the election included a flurry of legal filings from both Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case, and Trump's legal team.
Bragg's office has previously indicated it would not oppose Trump's sentencing until after his term in office, four years from now.
But after Judge Murchan decided to proceed with sentencing, Bragg asked the judge to proceed with sentencing on Friday.
In his order last week, Judge Murchan wrote that “this court firmly believes that only by concluding this matter” will the existing legal difficulties be resolved.
However, the judge left the door open for Trump to appeal the sentence, writing that he “should be permitted to avail himself of any available appeal.”