Donald Trump sued Judge Juan Merchan in an attempt to halt his sentencing in the hush money trial. Trump's legal team argued that the judge overstepped his jurisdiction by denying Trump's presidential immunity defense and allowing the sentencing date to proceed without a decision from appellate judges. Trump's attorneys claimed that the "absolute immunity" of a sitting president extends to his time as president-elect, and prosecuting him during this period would violate established legal precedent. Despite these arguments, Judge Merchan rejected Trump's request to delay the sentencing
