Trump to be sentenced in hush money case 10 January
A judge has ordered Donald Trump to be sentenced in New York on January 10 in his hush-money case, less than two weeks before he is sworn in as president.
New York Judge Juan Merchant said he would sentence Trump to a conditional discharge, which means no jail time, fines or probation at the end of the case, and the president-elect can attend hearings in person or virtually.
The case stems from Trump’s May conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Trump has sought to use his presidential election victory to dismiss cases against him.
The conviction stems from Trump’s attempts to cover up reimbursements to his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who paid the adult film star in the final days of the 2016 campaign to speak out about alleged sexual encounters with Trump The incident remained silent.
The president-elect denies all wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty, saying the case is aimed at harming his 2024 presidential campaign.
In the latest motion in the case, Trump’s defense attorneys argue that the case will haunt him during his presidency and hinder his ability to govern.
The judge was told there were several steps he could take to assuage Trump’s concerns that his presidency would be distracted by a criminal case that fell short of the “extreme remedy” of overturning the jury’s verdict.
Judge Murchin has been weighing his options, which include delaying sentencing until Trump, 78, leaves the White House in 2029, or guaranteeing that the sentence will not involve jail time.
Trump initially argued unsuccessfully in his first motion to dismiss the case that the case against him violated the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity.
In July, the country’s highest court ruled that the president enjoys broad immunity from criminal prosecution for “official actions” taken while in office.
Last month, however, Judge Murchin ruled that Trump’s hush-money conviction stood.
His sentencing on Jan. 10 will make him the first felon to serve in the White House.
While falsifying business records in the United States is punishable by up to four years in prison, there is no minimum sentence and no jail time is required.
Even before the election victory, legal experts believed Trump was unlikely to face prison time given his age and legal record.
trump card Also charged in three other state and federal criminal cases: One involving classified documents and two related to his alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
The president-elect was originally scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 26, but Judge Merchant postponed that date after Trump won the presidential election.
A spokesman for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
