January 20 inauguration
NEW YORK: A New York judge overseeing President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money case has scheduled his sentencing for January 10, just 10 days before his inauguration on January 20.
Judge Juan Merchan indicated that he was not inclined to impose jail time, signaling that Trump, the first former U.S. president ever convicted of a crime, would likely avoid incarceration. Instead, the judge suggested an “unconditional discharge,” meaning Trump would not face any additional conditions related to the conviction.
Trump, who was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign, could have faced up to four years in prison.
However, legal experts, even before Trump’s successful bid for the presidency, did not expect Merchan to sentence him to jail. Trump has been allowed to appear either in person or virtually for his sentencing.
Despite the possibility of a prison term, the judge has expressed that a sentence of incarceration was unlikely, especially since prosecutors also did not recommend it.
Merchan emphasized that the sentence would still be delivered before Trump’s swearing-in as president, despite Trump potentially seeking an appeal that could delay the process.
Trump, who has vehemently criticized the legal proceedings, denounced the decision, calling it a “Rigged Charade” and accusing Judge Merchan of being a “radical partisan.”
On his Truth Social platform, Trump insisted the ruling was “knowingly unlawful” and claimed it violated the Constitution, warning that if allowed to stand, it would have catastrophic consequences for the future of the presidency.
Trump’s legal team had previously attempted to have the case dismissed on several grounds, including the argument that former presidents have immunity from prosecution for certain actions taken while in office.
However, Merchan rejected this argument, though he noted that Trump would be immune from prosecution once he takes office as president.
Despite the potential for presidential immunity after January 20, the judge moved forward with the sentencing, setting it prior to Trump’s inauguration.
Trump was convicted in May for his role in orchestrating the hush money payment to Daniels, who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.
The payments were made to prevent Daniels from going public with the story during the 2016 presidential campaign. Despite the conviction, the legal implications for Trump remain a subject of intense debate, with the potential for appeals and further legal challenges lingering over his presidency.
