The judge overseeing President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money case denied his motion to dismiss the verdict on Friday, scheduling sentencing for January 10, ten days before Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president.
Judge Juan Merchan stated Trump could appear in person or virtually and confirmed he would not impose jail time. Instead, an unconditional discharge—leaving the conviction intact without fines, jail, or probation—is the most likely outcome. Merchan rejected arguments to vacate the May conviction, where a jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records tied to a 2016 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.
Merchan emphasized the severity of Trump’s actions, saying vacating the verdict would harm public confidence in the rule of law. Trump criticized the ruling on Truth Social, calling the case a “Rigged Charade” and alleging political bias. His spokesperson, Steven Cheung, condemned the decision as unconstitutional and vowed continued legal challenges.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office, which prosecuted the case, declined to comment. While the judge left open the possibility of delaying sentencing until after Trump’s presidency, he described the option as less desirable.
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