A judge on Monday ruled that Donald Trump's conviction for falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal should stand. The court rejected the US president-elect's argument that a recent Supreme Court ruling nullified the verdict. The decision, detailed in a 41-page ruling by Justice Juan Merchan, emphasized that Trump's "decidedly personal acts of falsifying business records pose no danger of intrusion on the authority and function of the executive branch."

Trump's lawyers had argued that the case, if allowed to proceed, would impede his ability to govern effectively during his presidency. Initially, Trump was scheduled to be sentenced on November 26, but Justice Merchan pushed the date back indefinitely following Trump's victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election.

Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office maintained that measures short of overturning the jury's verdict could address concerns about the impact of the case on Trump's presidency. They called the request to nullify the conviction an "extreme remedy."

The case originates from a $130,000 payment made by Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. The payment was intended to secure her silence before the 2016 election regarding a sexual encounter she claimed to have had with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the encounter.

In May, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal the payment. This marked the first time in US history that a president—former or sitting—had been convicted of or charged with a criminal offense. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges and described the case as an attempt by District Attorney Bragg, a Democrat, to damage his 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump is set to be inaugurated as the next US President on January 20, replacing the Democratic incumbent Joe Biden. Biden, who defeated Trump in the 2020 elections, dropped out of the 2024 race earlier this year to clear the way for Kamala Harris, who ultimately lost to Trump.

Disclaimer:This image is taken from Reuters.