Judge Denies Trump’s Bid to Dismiss Hush Money Case, Orders Sentencing for January 10
Judge Juan Merchan denied President-elect Donald Trump’s bid to dismiss the hush money case against him, scheduled to be sentenced on January 10, just ten days before his inauguration as the 47th President.
Merchan will allow Trump to appear in person or virtually for the sentencing, and will not order him jailed. The judge believes that a sentence of an unconditional discharge is the most viable solution, allowing the conviction to stand without Trump being fined, locked up, or sentenced to probation.
The judge’s decision to sentence Trump rejects Trump’s argument that the charges are insufficiently serious given his position as President-elect and future president. Merchan believes that vacating the verdict would be a “disproportionate result” and cause “immeasurable damage to the citizenry’s confidence in the Rule of Law.”
Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, called the ruling a “direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence,” and argued that the case should be dismissed. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office declined to comment.
Merchan’s decision comes after he denied Trump’s bid to dismiss the case last month, when Trump argued that he was already protected by presidential immunity given his status as president-elect. The original sentencing date was delayed multiple times due to the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity and Trump’s election win.