The Supreme Court on Monday shut down a long-shot effort from Missouri to remove a gag order in former President Donald Trump’s hush-money case and delay his sentencing in New York. The Missouri attorney general brought the unusual request to the high court, seeking to sue New York after the justices had granted Trump broad immunity from prosecution in a separate case filed in Washington. The order indicated that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito would have allowed Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey to file the suit, though not to grant his push to quickly lift the gag order and delay sentencing.
Bailey argued that the New York gag order, which Missouri wanted stayed until after the election, wrongly limits what the GOP presidential nominee can say on the campaign trail, and Trump’s eventual sentence could affect his ability to travel. On the opposing side, Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James contended that the limited gag order does allow Trump to discuss issues important to voters and that the sentence may not affect his movement at all. James argued that appeals are moving through state courts and there’s no state-on-state conflict that would permit the Supreme Court to weigh in at this point.
Trump is under a gag order imposed at trial after prosecutors raised concerns about his habit of attacking people involved in his cases. The order allows him to comment publicly about certain aspects, but he remains barred from disclosing the identities or addresses of individual jurors and from commenting about court staffers, the prosecution team, and their families until his sentencing.
Supreme Court denies Missouri’s request
His sentencing has been delayed until at least September. Trump was convicted in Manhattan on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to what prosecutors said was an attempt to cover up a hush-money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. Trump denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels.
The charge carries a potential penalty of up to four years behind bars, though it’s uncertain whether prosecutors will seek prison time, as incarceration would be a rare punishment for a first-time offender convicted of Trump’s charges. Other potential sentences include probation, a fine, or a conditional discharge requiring Trump to avoid further trouble to escape additional punishment. Trump is also pursuing the dismissal of the case, citing the July Supreme Court ruling that granted him broad immunity from prosecution as a former president.
That finding nearly eliminated the possibility that he could face trial on election interference charges in Washington before the election. The high court has rejected other similar suits framed as state conflicts in recent years.
- APNews.”Supreme Court shuts down Missouri’s long shot push to lift Trump’s gag order in hush-money case”.
- Forbes.”Trump’s Legal Cases—Including His Sentencing: What’s Happening Through Election Day”.
- SCOTUSblog.”Supreme Court rejects Missouri’s request to block Trump’s New York gag order, sentencing”.