Supreme court denies Trump's bid to delay sentencing

The Supreme Court of the United States has refused to halt the announcement of the sentence for former President Donald Trump, who a state court in New York convicted. The case involves the payment of "hush money" to Stormy Daniels. Trump wanted the sentence to be delayed until after the presidential elections.

In May of this year, Donald Trump, currently running for the office of President of the United States on behalf of the Republican Party, was found guilty of 34 crimes related to concealing the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels about their alleged affair. According to the prosecution, this action was intended to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential elections.

In April, New York Judge Juan Merchan, who is handling Trump's case, imposed a "gag order" on the former president, preventing him from publicly speaking about the jurors, witnesses, and families of the judge and prosecutors. Violating this order is subject to a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to 30 days. Trump repeatedly violated this order and was fined.

According to Reuters, the judges rejected a motion filed on July 3 by the state of Missouri, claiming that the case against Trump violates the United States Constitution's guarantee of the voters' right to hear from the Republican presidential candidate.

According to Missouri's Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey, the judge's decision regarding the "gag order" limits Trump's right to free speech during his election campaign. Furthermore, he argues that the potential sentence might affect Trump's ability to travel across the United States.

Judge Merchan on July 2 postponed the sentencing hearing for the former president from July 11 to September 18. During this time, the court will consider Trump's motion to annul the verdict due to the partial immunity that protects the president.

The Supreme Court ruled on July 1 that presidents are protected by immunity for actions integral to performing their official duties. However, it added that these actions cannot serve as incriminating evidence against the president regarding other charges.

Most commentators do not expect Trump to be sentenced to prison; possible scenarios include house arrest or supervision. After the verdict is announced, Trump can appeal, and until then, he will remain free.

Trump is the first president in U.S. history to be convicted in a criminal case.