4 weeks ago
15
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
Prosecutors have been ordered to respond to the president-elect’s request by Thursday morning, suggesting the court could rule before Friday’s scheduled sentencing.
- Jan. 8, 2025Updated 9:20 a.m. ET
Days away from his criminal sentencing in New York, President-elect Donald J. Trump is seeking a late-stage rescue from the U.S. Supreme Court, escalating his bid to shut down the case before he returns to the White House.
In an emergency application filed late Tuesday, Mr. Trump’s lawyers urged the justices to intervene and halt the sentencing, which is scheduled for Friday, 10 days before the presidential inauguration.
The filing came after a New York appeals court rejected the same request on Tuesday, casting doubt on the validity of his effort to stave off the sentencing.
The effort hinges on Mr. Trump’s argument that he is entitled to full immunity from prosecution, and even sentencing, now that he is the president-elect. His lawyers have based that claim on a polarizing Supreme Court ruling from last year that granted former presidents broad immunity for their official acts.
“This court should enter an immediate stay of further proceedings in the New York trial court,” the application said, “to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government.”
The Supreme Court directed prosecutors to respond to Mr. Trump’s application by Thursday morning, an indication that the justices may act before the scheduled sentencing on Friday. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which prosecuted Mr. Trump, declined to comment, saying only that the office would respond in court papers.
