Trump's Legal Battle Takes a Twist: US Judge Shocks with Rejection of Plea to Cancel Sentence

America (The Uttam Hindu): America's newly elected President, Donald Trump, has suffered a significant legal blow ahead of his inauguration. On Monday, a US judge rejected Trump's plea to cancel his sentence in the hush money case. The decision follows Trump's conviction for manipulating records to conceal a sex scandal, specifically related to his alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump's legal team had argued that continuing the case during his presidency would hinder his ability to govern effectively. They also referenced a recent Supreme Court decision, which they claimed should have nullified the case. Despite these arguments, Justice Juan Marchan dismissed the plea, noting that Trump’s legal issues remain unresolved.

The case centers around Trump's $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election, which was allegedly made to silence her about their affair. In May of this year, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in order to hide the payment. This marks the first time in US history that a president or former president has been convicted or charged in a criminal case. Trump, who has pleaded not guilty, has denounced the case as a politically motivated attack aimed at damaging his 2024 election campaign. The sentencing, which was originally set for November 26, was postponed indefinitely after Trump’s election victory on November 5.