Former President Donald Trump's sentencing in the New York hush-money case will move forward as planned on Friday morning after the New York Court of Appeals denied his request for a postponement. The sentencing, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., comes just days before Trump's upcoming presidential inauguration on January 20th.

Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office argued that the payment, aimed at suppressing Daniels' allegations of an affair with Trump, constituted a violation of campaign finance laws.

The former president had sought to delay the sentencing based on arguments of presidential immunity, citing a Supreme Court ruling from the previous year. However, Judge Juan Merchan rejected this request, paving the way for the sentencing to proceed. Trump has consistently maintained his innocence, characterizing the case as a politically motivated attack intended to undermine his electoral prospects.

Trump's legal team filed motions to stay the sentencing with both the New York State Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. While the New York court denied his request, the status of his appeal to the Supreme Court remains pending. Despite this, the sentencing is scheduled to go ahead, with Trump expected to participate virtually.

Former President Trump appears in court for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on May 30, 2024. (Steven Hirsch-Pool/Getty Images)

Former President Trump, alongside his attorney Todd Blanche, right, speaks to the media as he arrives for his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on May 30, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Pool via Reuters)