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Trump fails at Apex Court to stop hush money sentencing

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The United States Supreme Court on Thursday denied a last-minute bid by President-elect Donald Trump to halt sentencing in his hush money case.

The top court, which includes three justices appointed by Trump, rejected his emergency application seeking to block Friday’s sentencing by a 5-4 vote.

The court, in a brief unsigned order, said the “burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial” and noted that Trump will be allowed to attend virtually.

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The court also noted that the judge who presided over the hush money case has already said he plans to impose a sentence of “unconditional discharge,” which does not carry any jail time, fine or probation.

Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in Manhattan at 9:30 am (1430 GMT) on Friday after being convicted by a New York jury in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump, 78, who is to be sworn in as president on January 20, filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking to halt his sentencing.

Four justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, all conservatives — were in favor of granting Trump’s request to halt his sentencing.

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Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, also conservatives, joined the three liberal justices in rejecting the president-elect’s bid.

Barrett, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh were appointed by Trump.

Trump’s lawyers made several legal maneuvers in an effort to fend off sentencing arguing that it would be a “grave injustice” and harm “the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government.”

Trump’s attorneys also claimed that the immunity from prosecution granted to a sitting president should be extended to a president-elect.

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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg rejected their arguments in his response on Thursday, saying Trump was a private citizen when he was “charged, tried, and convicted.”

– Convicted felon –

Bragg also said the Supreme Court “lacks jurisdiction over a state court’s management of an ongoing criminal trial” and preventing sentencing would be an “extraordinary step” by the top court.

“There is no basis for such intervention,” Bragg said.

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In the order, the Supreme Court said Trump can still appeal his conviction through the New York state courts.

Judge Juan Merchan said last week he was leaning towards giving Trump an unconditional discharge that would not carry jail time, a fine or probation. He also agreed to allow Trump to attend Friday’s Manhattan sentencing virtually instead of in person.

Trump is the first former US president to be convicted of a crime and will be the first convicted felon to serve in the White House.

Trump potentially faced up to four years in prison, but legal experts — even before he won the November presidential election — did not expect Merchan to incarcerate him.

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Trump was certified as the winner of the 2024 presidential election on Monday, four years after his supporters rioted at the US Capitol as he sought to overturn his 2020 defeat.

AFP

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Commercial S3x Worker Arrested For Stabbing Bartender To Death Over N200 Debt

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A 32-year-old sex worker, Riyanatu Musa, has confessed to have stabbed to death a bartender, whom she owed N200 in Adamawa State.

The sex worker stabbed her victim, identified as Yohanna Musa, during an altercation over N200 balance for liquor in Mubi, according to the police.

Spokesperson for the police in Adamawa State, SP Suleiman Nguroje noted that Musa confessed to the crime during interrogation.

“She narrated that she had collected a bottle of dry gin known as ‘big ben’ and one other from the victim and promised to pay the following day, saying that she paid the sum of N1,500 remaining a balance of N200.

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“She explained that the fight ensued between her and the victim when he demanded his money and in the course of it she stabbed him with a knife in the chest to death,” Nguroje said.

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Nigerians man nabbed for k!lling his mother for rituals

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A 29-year-old man has been nabbed by the police for allegedly killing his mother for ritual purposes in Cross River.

Spokesperson for the Police Command in the state, SP Irene Ugbo, confirmed the suspect’s arrest and detention to newsmen on Friday in Calabar, albeit without further details.

The incident had occurred on Dec. 25, 2024 in Batriko, Eastern Boki Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

Credible source revealed that a combined team of police and the security team of Obudu council area made the arrest on Friday.

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According to reports, the suspect had dumped his mother’s body in a well in Obudu LGA, while security operatives had been tracking him since the incident occurred.

The source said that the suspect, who was arrested alongside a native doctor, would be brought to the state command for further investigation.

Recall that the suspect was alleged to have shaved his dead mother’s hair and dumped her remains in a well thereafter.

The source told NAN that the arrest of the fleeing suspect was effected by security operatives at the shrine of a native doctor, with a bag containing his late mother’s shaved hair.

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“As I speak with you, the suspect and the native doctor are presently cooling off at the Obudu Divisional Police Headquarters,” said the source. (NAN)

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Royal matter: Appeal Court Orders Fresh Hearing into Kano Emirate Tussle

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a fresh hearing in the legal battle over the disputed Kano Emirate involving Alhaji Nasir Ado Bayero.

The Appellate Court, in a judgment delivered on Friday, held that Bayero was denied fair hearing due to the shoddy manner in which a Kano High Court conducted proceedings against him.

Justice Mohammed Mustapha, who delivered the lead judgement, stated that the Kano High Court was unfair to Bayero by conducting proceedings without serving him a hearing notice to enable him to present his case.

Justice Mustapha held that all courts of law are bound to ensure justice for all parties by giving them equal opportunities, adding that the conduct of the proceedings against Bayero amounted to a travesty of justice.

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Specifically, the Appellate Court held that Bayero ought to have been served with a hearing notice to allow him to present his grievances before judgment was delivered against him in what it described as a shoddy arrangement.

The Court of Appeal, therefore, ordered that the case be remitted to the Chief Judge of the Kano State High Court to be reassigned to another judge for expeditious determination.

Justice Mustapha did not award costs against the respondents in the appeal filed by Ahaji Ado Bayero.

Details later.

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