A judge has ordered that Donald Trump will be sentenced on January 10 in a hush-money case in New York less than two weeks before he is inaugurated as president.
Judge Juan Merchan said he would sentence Trump to a conditional dismissal, in which case the case would be concluded without jail time, fines or probation, and that the president-elect could appear at the hearing in person or virtually.
The case stems from Trump’s May conviction on 34 felonies for falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Trump had tried to use his presidential election victory to dismiss the lawsuit against him.
This conviction stemmed from President Trump’s attempt to conceal money from his former lawyer, Michael Cohen. Michael Cohen paid an adult film star to keep quiet about allegations of sexual encounters with Trump in 2016.
The president-elect has denied any wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty, claiming the incident was an attempt to harm his 2024 presidential campaign.
In the latest filing in the case, Trump’s lawyers argued that the case would hang over him for the duration of his presidency and hinder his ability to govern.
The judge was advised that several steps could be taken to allay Trump’s concerns about being distracted by criminal cases while he is president, falling short of the “extreme remedy” of overturning a jury’s verdict.
Judge Merchan has been weighing his options, including whether to delay sentencing until the 78-year-old Trump leaves the White House in 2029 or to guarantee him a sentence that does not involve any prison time.
Trump initially argued unsuccessfully that the case against him violated Supreme Court rulings on presidential immunity in his first motion to dismiss the case.
Last July, the country’s highest court ruled that presidents enjoy broad immunity from criminal prosecution for “official acts” taken while in office.
But last month, Judge Merchan ruled that Trump’s hush-money conviction was valid.
With his sentencing on January 10, he will become the first felon to serve in the White House.
The president-elect was originally scheduled to be sentenced on November 26, but Justice Merchan postponed the sentencing date after President Trump won the presidential election.
A Trump spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
