Lawyers and legal experts objected to Judge Juan Merchan's ruling in New York President-elect Donald Trump in New York v. Trump just days before his inauguration as president, saying the case would be remembered as “one of the worst” in history.
“I'll tell you how it amazes me that, when you look at cases throughout history, not just in the United States, but actually around the world, this case will be remembered as one of the worst. This will be remembered as an absolute event,” Fox host Mark Levin said. News, after the verdict was pronounced: “Injustice from the beginning.”
Merchant sentenced Trump on Friday morning to unconditional release, meaning he faces no punishment such as fines or prison.
“This is the end of the politicization of the judicial system,” said Fox News contributor Leo Terrell, a civil rights lawyer whom Trump this week appointed as senior counsel to the court's assistant attorney general for civil rights. Ministry of Justice In his next government.
Trump was sentenced on Friday morning.
“Trump's election win, in my opinion, basically neutralized this issue. And the attempt to smear President Trump, to smear him with the crimson criminal, will only be undone in a matter of time. And I'm telling you this with 35 years of experience, it would not have been possible to Never prosecuted this case for one reason, which was to prevent President Trump from becoming the 47th president. I want to be very clear, I failed.
Terrell added in his comments to Fox Digital that he is “salivating to get into the Department of Justice,” where he will be “heavily involved in the pursuit of justice” surrounding the New York case and other cases against Trump.
“I will be involved in stopping anti-Semitism and stopping the persecution of Catholic families, parents who go to a school board meeting, the abuse, the misuse of the legal system for political gain. So, I will be involved in any investigation, and I hope to work there 24 hours a day,” he said. All days of the week to expose all this nonsense,” he said, noting that the documents and correspondence surrounding Trump’s cases “will be revealed.”
Merchan stressed on Friday before the ruling was pronounced that the court system dealt with Trump's case as it deals with every other criminal case.
“After careful analysis, this court has determined that the only statutory penalty that allows for a guilty verdict is unconditional release,” Merchan said on Friday. “At this time, I am imposing this sentence to cover all 34 counts.”
“Sir, I wish you success as you serve your second term,” Merchan added.
Republicans criticize Trump's “joking” ruling 10 days before he is sworn in
Attorney Trey Gowdy, a Fox News contributor, stressed on Friday that if Trump's case is treated like any other in New York, it shows that “there are a lot of bad prosecutions going on” in the state.
“Court time is precious. It's a precious resource. To waste that time on a case, where even the prosecution agrees, you shouldn't spend a single minute. So, if Juan Merchan says this case wouldn't have been handled differently, that just tells me that There, Gowdy said, “There are a lot of bad trials going on in New York.”
Legal scholar and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley compared Merchan's observation that Trump's case was similar to any other in New York to Mary Shelley's “Dr. Frankenstein.”
“Merchan appears to be presenting the case in his own defense, insisting that this case is no different from any other in New York. It is a case that is brought long after the jury has left the courtroom. This is like what Dr. Frankenstein said on the “His creature is just like any other man. Piecing together this case from a dead misdemeanor and dismissed federal charges is no ordinary thing.”
Trump told the court before the ruling that the case was a “huge embarrassment to the state of New York,” while highlighting that voters “decisively” re-elected him to the White House in November.
Fox News Channel legal editor Kerry Urban added on Friday that as she entered the courtroom, she noticed widespread support for Trump in the streets.
“The only protesters who were here, per se, were Trump supporters. And even as I stand here now, I look at the square and I look at the people with Trump flags, and I look at someone holding a sign that says, 'Enough, we voted, we don't want this.' Lawfare no more.
During Trump's trial last spring, cameras were not allowed into the courtroom. However, for the sentencing, Merchan agreed to allow the audio, which Orbán found strange.
“It is worth noting that during the trial, there was no audio. There were no cameras, but for this particular ruling, Judge Merchan agreed to have audio. I can't help but think if it was because he wanted the world to hear his voice.” “I judge Donald Trump because we couldn't have that before,” she said on Fox News.
Merchan set Trump's sentencing date for January 10 earlier this month, but was quickly met with repeated attempts to delay and prevent the sentencing. Merchan said before the sentencing that he likely would not “impose any prison sentence” on Trump, and instead would issue “unconditional release.”
Trump's legal team filed an appeal To prevent the ruling from moving forward in the New York State Court of Appeals. However, the court rejected his request. Trump also filed an emergency motion with the US Supreme Court, arguing that it “immediately order a stay of the criminal proceedings pending in the Superior Court of New York County, New York, pending the final determination of President Trump's preliminary appeal raising questions about presidential immunity.” “Including in this court if necessary.”
Trump in court (Fox News)
“The court shall also, if necessary, enter a temporary administrative stay while it considers this stay request,” Trump’s order said.
Trump is sentenced in a criminal trial in New York
FILE – Judge Juan M. Merchan stands in his chambers in New York, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wing, File)
The Supreme Court rejected the request. Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Neil Gorsuch, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated that they would have granted Trump's motion to delay the ruling, while the order suggested that Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett vote with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Katangy. Brown Jackson to reject Trump's request.
Trump files motion to stay 'unlawful ruling' in New York case
The US Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) (AP photo)
Trump did He vowed to appeal the ruling Arguing that evidence in the case points to his duties as president during his first term following a Supreme Court ruling in July that former presidents enjoy substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts in office but not for unofficial acts.
Trump files emergency petition with Supreme Court to block ruling in New York against Trump
“I will appeal this case, and I am confident that justice will prevail. The pathetic and dying vestiges of the witch hunt against me will not distract us as we unite and make America great again!” Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after the Supreme Court order was issued on Thursday.
Former US President Donald Trump walks to speak to the press at the end of the day during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 7, 2024 in New York City.
“Every jurist has stated, unequivocally, that this was a case that should never have been brought. There was no case against me. In other words, I am innocent of all the trumped-up charges brought by the judge. This was nothing but weaponizing our judicial system.” Against a political opponent, it is called “lawfare”, and nothing like that has ever happened in the USA, and it should not be allowed to happen again to this day, said this corrupt and very political judge A. He added in his post: “Banning Order Post on me, “Which deprives me of my First Amendment right to speak about very important aspects of the case.”
Trump has been found Guilty on 34 counts of forgery Business records in the Manhattan case in May. The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg worked to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to quell her allegations of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.
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Trump has insisted on his innocence in the case and repeatedly criticized it as an example of the legal warfare promoted by Democrats in an attempt to harm his electoral efforts before November.
Fox News' Brooke Singman and David Spont contributed to this report.
