A New York judge has scheduled the sentencing for President-elect Donald Trump in the hush money case for Jan. 10, just 10 days before his presidential inauguration.
Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the trial, indicated that incarceration was unlikely, citing Trump’s re-election.
“It is the court’s inclination to not impose any sentence of incarceration,” Merchan said in an order.
Trump is expected to receive an “unconditional discharge” sentence, allowing him to avoid incarceration and walk free despite his conviction. With the sentence, he can also appeal the conviction.
A Manhattan jury previously found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The charges stem from allegations that Trump categorized hush money payments to an adult film actress as legal expenses during his 2016 presidential campaign.
“Today’s order by the deeply conflicted, Acting Justice Merchan in the Manhattan DA Witch Hunt is a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence,” Trump Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement. “This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed.
“President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts,” Cheung added. “There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead.”
