Donald Trump is set to avoid a jail sentence at the conclusion of his “hush money” court case – for which a date has now been set.
Trump must be sentenced on January 10 for his convictions on charges involving paying hush money to a porn star, a New York judge has ruled today.
Justice Juan Merchan said he denied Trump’s attempt to throw out the case after his election victory in November, though he has told Trump that he can choose to appear in-person or virtually for his sentencing.
Merchan added that a sentence of “unconditional discharge” – i.e., no custody, fine, or probation – would be “the most viable solution” for America’s next President.
Justice Juan Merchan has said he is not inclined to impose a jail sentence on the President-elect
REUTERS
Trump’s team had argued that having the case loom over him during his second term in the White House would get in the way of his ability to govern.
But that was thrown out – with Merchan telling his lawyers that ignoring a jury verdict would “undermine the rule of law in immeasurable ways”.
Trump’s “status as President-elect does not require the drastic and ‘rare’ application of (the court’s) authority to grant the (dismissal) motion,” Merchan wrote.
LATEST ON DONALD TRUMP:
Trump’s team had argued that having the case loom over him during his second term in the White House would get in the way
REUTERS
Prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, which brought the case, said there could be other measures to avoid overturning the jury’s verdict.
They suggested several options, including delaying the sentencing until Trump leaves the White House in 2029, or guaranteeing a sentence that would not involve prison time.
But their first option has today been thrown out.
Michael Cohen was Donald Trump’s former attorney before the pair fell out following the 2016 election
REUTERS
The case all came from a $130,000 payment that Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The payment was for her silence before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter she claims she had a decade earlier with Trump, who denies it.
A jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the payment.
It was the first time a US President, either former or sitting, had been convicted of or charged with a criminal offence.