A New York judge on Friday upheld President-elect Donald Trump’s conviction in his hush money criminal case and scheduled his sentencing for January 10.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan said Trump, who is 78, may appear at his sentencing in person or virtually.
Trump condemned the order to set the date ahead of his swearing-in, calling it an “illegitimate political attack” in a post on Truth Social.
Trump’s attorneys have fought to have the case dismissed in light of Trump’s reelection in November.
Merchan said throwing out the jury verdict would “undermine the Rule of Law in immeasurable ways.”
Trump’s criminal conviction upheld Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment his ex-fixer made to an adult film star ahead of the 2016 election.
This means Trump will be the first convicted felon to become president.
Judge says not inclined to sentence Trump to jail Merchan wrote that he was not inclined to sentence Trump to jail and that a sentence of “unconditional discharge,” meaning no custody, monetary fine or probation, would be “the most viable solution.”
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung denounced the ruling, calling it a “direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence.”
“This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed,” Cheung said in a statement.
Trump’s lawyers ask hush money case to be dismissed Trump’s attorneys have argued in separate cases that Trump was protected by presidential immunity while he was in office.
Merchan rejected the argument, saying the president-elect would be immune from prosecution once he is sworn in as president.
“Finding no legal impediment to sentencing and recognizing that Presidential immunity will likely attach once Defendant takes his Oath of Office, it is incumbent upon this Court to set this matter down for imposition of sentence prior to January 20, 2025,” the judge said.
Trump is expected to appeal his conviction and he may try other legal avenues in the next week to try to stop the sentencing.
ess/rm (Reuters, AP, AFP)
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