A judge ordered Donald Trump to be sentenced on January 10 in the New York illicit money case, less than two weeks before he is sworn in as president.
Judge Juan Merchan indicated that he would sentence Trump to supervised release, where the case is closed without prison time, a fine or probation, and that the president-elect could appear in person or virtually at the hearing.
The case stems from Trump’s conviction in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Trump tried to exploit his victory in the presidential elections to dismiss the case against him.
The conviction stems from Trump’s attempt to cover up payments to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who in the final days of the 2016 election campaign paid the porn star to keep quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
The president-elect has denied all wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty, saying the case was an attempt to damage his 2024 presidential campaign.
In its latest move against the case, Trump’s defense said that the case would haunt him during his presidency and hinder his ability to govern.
The judge was told there were several measures he could use that could allay Trump’s concerns about being distracted by a criminal case while serving as president that fell short of the “maximum remedy” of overturning the jury’s verdict.
Judge Merchan was weighing his options, which included delaying sentencing until Trump, 78, leaves the White House in 2029, or ensuring a sentence that did not involve prison time.
Trump had initially argued, unsuccessfully, that the case against him conflicted with the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity in his first motion to dismiss the case.
In July, the country’s Supreme Court ruled that presidents enjoy broad immunity from criminal prosecution for “official actions” they take while in office.
However, Judge Merchan ruled last month that Trump’s hush money conviction was valid.
His sentencing on January 10 will make him the first felon to serve in the White House.
While falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years in prison in the United States, there is no minimum sentence and no prison requirement.
Even before he won the election, legal experts believed that Trump was unlikely to face prison time given his age and legal record.
Trump They have also been charged in three other state and federal criminal cases: One involving classified documents and two relating to his alleged efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election.
The president-elect was initially scheduled to be sentenced on November 26, but Judge Merchan postponed the date after Trump won the presidential election.
A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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