A judge has ordered that President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced on 10 January in his hush-money case in New York – less than two weeks before he is set to be sworn in as president.
The hearing is scheduled 10 days before Trump’s inauguration ceremony in Washington DC on 20 January.
Judge Juan Merchan signalled he’d sentence Mr Trump to a conditional discharge, in which a case is closed without jail time, a fine or probation, and that the president-elect could appear in person or virtually for the hearing.
A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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The case stems from Trump being convicted in May of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Trump’s defence had argued the case would hang over him during his presidency and impede his ability to govern.
The Judge had been advised there were several measures he could employ that could assuage Mr Trump’s concerns about being distracted by a criminal case while serving as president that fell short of the “extreme remedy” of overturning the jury’s verdict.
Mr Trump had initially, and unsuccessfully, argued the case against him ran afoul of a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity in his first motion to dismiss the case.
In July, the country’s top court ruled that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for “official actions” they take while in office.
However, last month Justice Merchan ruled Trump’s hush money conviction was valid.
His sentencing on 10 January will make him the first felon to serve in the White House.
The president-elect was initially scheduled to be sentenced on 26 November, but Justice Merchan pushed the date back after Trump won the presidential election.
- BBC
