What happened
The Supreme Court Thursday night rejected President-elect Donald Trump's emergency appeal to block a New York judge from sentencing him Friday for his 34 felony convictions related to paying off a porn actress to cover up a sex scandal ahead of the 2016 election. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined their three more liberal colleagues in the unsigned 5-4 decision.
Who said what
The court majority said Trump could address his legal objections to the New York convictions "in the ordinary course on appeal" and the "burden" he faces from his sentencing is "relatively insubstantial" due to New York Justice Juan Merchan's "stated intent to impose a sentence of 'unconditional discharge' after a brief virtual hearing," which Merchan followed through with Friday morning.
Trump turned to the "friendlier audience" of the Supreme Court's 6-3 conservative majority — three of whom he appointed — "after a series of unsuccessful legal maneuvers in New York State courts," The New York Times said. But while the justices had "come to Mr. Trump's rescue in a string of other recent matters," yesterday's "show of independence" ended his "frenzied campaign to stave off the embarrassing spectacle of a sentencing" 10 days before taking office. The "high court's snubbing" of Trump makes it "virtually certain" he will "make history as the first convicted felon to become president," Politico said.
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What next?
Trump's twice-delayed sentencing was indeed imposed Friday, where Merchan followed through with his sentence of unconditional discharge. This places a "guilty judgment on Trump's record, but would not impose custody, a fine or probation," Reuters said. Being a felon is "designation Trump had hoped to avoid," The Washington Post said.
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