The former President Donald Trump is seeking intervention from the US Supreme Court in his ongoing prosecution against him in New York for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments made during his 2016 election campaign. The case involves a payment of $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels through his lawyer Michael Cohen. A Manhattan criminal court jury found Mr. Trump guilty on all 34 counts in the indictment brought by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, with a sentencing date set for July 11.
Trump has criticized both the prosecutor and judge in the case, claiming conflicts of interest and arguing that the Supreme Court must make a decision. However, legal experts note that the Supreme Court typically does not overrule state decisions before the appeal process has been exhausted, and that Trump’s lawsuit must complete its appeal in the New York state courts before reaching the Supreme Court. This process could take years as it requires going through two state appellate courts before reaching the Supreme Court.
In order to intervene, Trump’s legal team may need to argue that there were violations of due process or constitutional rights or consider invoking the Federal Election Act in their appeals. However, given that there is a low likelihood of acceptance by the Supreme Court for state-level criminal cases and its limited acceptance of such cases, Trump’s efforts may be futile.
The Supreme Court’s decision on Trump’s immunity from prosecution for acts committed while in office will also have implications for other federal and state-level prosecutions he is facing. Despite this effort, it may be lengthy and complex with no guarantee of a favorable outcome.
