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Disappointing for Donald Trump, surely, but not unexpected either. Trump’s lawyers applied for a stay to both the Supreme Court and to New York’s highest court to stop the sentencing hearing scheduled by Judge Juan Merchan for tomorrow morning. Had Trump’s team expected success from the appeal within the state system, they wouldn’t have bothered with the more extraordinary appeal to the Supreme Court.
Andthisiswhy:
TheNewYorkCourtofAppeals,thehighestcourtinthestate,hasdeniedPresident-electDonaldTrump’srequesttohalthissentencingFridayinhiscriminalhushmoneycase.
TrumponWednesdaylaunchedaneleventh-hourrequesttoNewYork’shighestcourttopausethehushmoneycase,onthesamedaythathealsoaskedtheU.S.SupremeCourttohalthissentencing.
Thecourtdidn’tissuearulingorstatementindenyingtheappeal,justanorderdecliningtograntahearing.That’sashighasTrumpcantakeitinthestatejudicialsystem,butthatdoeshelpunlocktheissuenowfortheSupremeCourt.Undernormalcircumstances,thelatterwon’ttakeupanissuefromastatecourtuntilalloft
