Donald Trump faces sentencing for his hush money trial just 10 days before his inauguration as the 47th US president
New York: The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money trial has confirmed his historic criminal conviction and set the sentencing for just 10 days before he takes office.
Justice Juan Merchan turned down Trump’s request to dismiss the case, even after his election win. However, he did suggest a rare option of an unconditional discharge, which is a lenient alternative to jail or probation.
Mr. Merchan mentioned that Trump could attend the sentencing on January 10, either in person or virtually. This will solidify Trump’s status as a convicted criminal just weeks before he’s sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.
In his decision, Mr. Merchan noted that an unconditional discharge might be the best way to wrap things up and let Trump explore his appeal options. This type of sentence is different from a conditional discharge, which requires defendants to meet certain conditions, like keeping a job or paying restitution.
After the announcement, Steven Cheung, Trump’s new communications director, expressed strong disapproval. He called the ruling by Justice Merchan a violation of Supreme Court decisions and claimed it was part of a “Witch Hunt” against Trump.
Cheung insisted that this case should never have been brought up and that Trump should be allowed to focus on his presidential duties without distractions from legal issues.
Trump had previously been found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. This was a historic moment, as it marked the first time a sitting or former president faced such criminal charges.
While falsifying business records can lead to a four-year prison sentence, legal experts believed it was unlikely Trump would actually serve time, even before his election win.
The sentencing, which was originally set for July, has been delayed multiple times due to a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity and Trump’s election victory.
Trump’s legal team argued that having this conviction hanging over him during his presidency would hinder his ability to govern effectively. Their first motion to dismiss the case was unsuccessful.
Initially, a sentencing date of November 26 was postponed indefinitely after Trump won the election against Kamala Harris.
Prosecutors from Manhattan’s district attorney’s office, who brought the case, suggested that there were other ways to address Trump’s concerns without completely overturning the jury’s verdict.
They proposed options like delaying the sentencing until Trump leaves office in 2029 or ensuring that any sentence wouldn’t involve prison time.
Justice Merchan, seen in a courtroom sketch during the trial, was also presented with the idea of simply terminating the case, noting that Trump was never sentenced and that his conviction was neither affirmed nor reversed on appeal.
The case originated from a payment made by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged affair from a decade ago, which Trump denies.
Trump has consistently pleaded not guilty and claims the entire situation is a “witch hunt” and a form of “election interference.”
On December 16, Trump lost another attempt to dismiss the conviction based on the Supreme Court’s ruling that presidents can’t be criminally prosecuted for their official actions.
In denying Trump’s motion, Mr. Merchan stated that the prosecution for personal acts of falsifying business records doesn’t interfere with the executive branch’s authority.
In 2023, Trump faced charges in three other criminal cases, including one related to classified documents and two concerning his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He has pleaded not guilty in all these cases, and the Justice Department has moved to dismiss two of the federal cases following his election win.
