The United States Supreme Court rejected the emergency request presented by President-elect Donald Trump to stop his criminal sentence in New York, ensuring that the process will continue as planned on Friday, The New York Times reported this Thursday.
A majority of five justices noted that Trump will not face prison and that he still has the option of appealing his conviction “in the normal course of the judicial process.”
Trump argued that a ruling so close to his inauguration could distract him from the presidential transition, but the judges considered that “the impact on his responsibilities as president-elect will be minimal.”
Four conservative justices (Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh) expressed their dissent, although they did not explain their reasons.
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According to the newspaper’s report, the decision means that Trump will be sentenced on 34 serious charges related to falsifying documents to cover up a sex scandal that put his 2016 presidential campaign at risk.
After failing several appeals in the New York courts, the former president sought support in the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, including three judges that the Republican appointed in his first term.
However, the Court decided not to intervene, despite having favored it in other recent cases. In July he expanded immunity for former presidents at official events, weakening another criminal case against him in Washington.
The Court’s denial comes less than two weeks before the inauguration, ending Trump’s attempts to avoid the ruling. This process will formalize his conviction and officially make him the first United States president with a criminal record to take office.
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The proceedings are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Friday in the Lower Manhattan courthouse where the trial was held last year. Trump has indicated that he will participate virtually.
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