Washington (USA), Jan 7 (LaPresse) – New York Court of Appeals Judge Ellen Gesmer has rejected a request by Donald Trump's lawyers to postpone the president-elect's sentencing in the Stormy Daniels trial. The tycoon's lawyer, Todd Blanche, Trump's choice as deputy justice in his new administration, argued unsuccessfully before the judge that the sentence, scheduled for Friday, should be postponed because the situation is unprecedented in US history, also in light of the Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity. Trump had been convicted last May of 34 counts relating to falsifying company accounts to cover up black payments to Daniels, who on the eve of the 2016 election threatened to reveal details of a past sexual encounter she had with Trump. Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan's sentencing was set for Friday, 10 January, just 10 days before Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. Merchan has already signalled that he will not award Trump a prison or monetary sentence, or custody of social services, noting the situation that has arisen with the tycoon's re-election. And yet Trump is still likely to be the first president in US history to be convicted of criminal offences, regardless of what sentence the judge decides.
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