New York judge rejects Trump's request to delay sentencing on Friday in hush money case

A New York judge on Monday denied Donald Trump’s request from earlier in the day to halt or delay sentencing scheduled for Friday in the president-elect's hush-money criminal case.

In his two-page decision, Judge Juan Merchan ruled that Trump's lawyers were repeating arguments they had already made "numerous times in the past" without success in trying to get their client's conviction overturned.

Earlier Monday, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told Merchan the former and future president's legal team planned to appeal his decision rejecting their request to dismiss his criminal hush-money case and set sentencing, which is expected to result in no punishment, for Friday.

Blanche argued in a court filing that the Supreme Court’s ruling in July “automatically” halted all criminal cases against the former president under the doctrine of presidential immunity while courts determine whether Trump is shielded from any charges.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg opposed Trump’s request and argued that his appeals were no reason to delay sentencing in the case.

“As is clear from the relevant authorities, the purpose of pre-trial immunity is to foreclose a potentially unnecessary trial,” prosecutors wrote, but in Trump’s case the trial has already been held.

Merchan rejected Trump’s claim of immunity on Friday and refused to dismiss his felony conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to a hide a payment to an adult film actress.

The judge ruled that an "unconditional charge" is the way to bring finality to the case before Trump returns to the White House on Jan. 20.

Under New York law, that sort of judgment means sentencing wouldn’t include prison time, a fine or probation, but that Trump could continue to appeal the case.

But Blanche’s filing Monday argued sentencing scheduled for Friday should be postponed while appeals courts consider the case.

Federal prosecutors have dropped two cases against Trump ? for allegedly mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House and for allegedly conspiring to steal the 2020 election ? under longstanding Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.

A Georgia judge must still decide how to deal with state charges of election racketeering charges against Trump.

(This story has been updated to include new information.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NY judge rejects Trump's request to delay hush money case sentencing