Appeals court rejects bid to stop postconviction proceedings in Trump's hush money case

A three-judge panel on Thursday rejected former President Donald Trump's request to halt future proceedings that stem from the conviction in his hush money case.

The federal appeals court decision means Trump will stay on track to be sentenced in November, after he was convicted earlier this year on 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment he gave to former porn star Stormy Daniels.

The court cited Judge Juan Merchan's order last week that the sentencing will take place on Nov. 26, after the presidential election, in its ruling, per the Associated Press. Trump was initially scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 18.

“In light of the state court’s adjournment of sentencing until November 26, 2024, it is hereby ordered that the motion for an emergency administrative stay is denied,” the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals panel wrote, per CNN.

Merchan said at the time that he was pushing the sentencing in order to eliminate any concerns that the sentencing was "affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate.”

Trump has also attempted to move the New York case from a state court to federal court, in order to have the case dismissed because of presidential immunity. 

Merchan is also expected to issue his own ruling on Trump's bid to overturn the verdict and dismiss the case over presidential immunity claims on Nov. 12, which will also be after the Nov. 5 presidential election.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.