Judge Juan Merchan from New York has decided Donald Trump will be sentenced on January 10 for 34 crimes related to hush money payments. This will happen right before Trump’s inauguration.
On Friday, the judge said he would not cancel the guilty verdict or drop the charges. However, Trump will not face jail time, fines, or probation.
The judge explained that while a final decision will come after hearing from everyone, he is leaning toward giving Trump no punishment at all. Instead, Trump would get an “unconditional discharge,” which means no penalties, so he can appeal the case if he wants.
Trump has until January 5 to say if he will attend the sentencing in person or online.
In November, the judge delayed Trump’s sentencing but did not suggest that the guilty verdict would be overturned. This meant the sentencing could be delayed for a long time, even until after Trump’s time as president.
In December, the judge confirmed that Trump’s guilty verdict would stay, even though Trump claimed he was protected because he’s running for president. Trump angrily called the judge unfair, even though he has praised judges in the past when they ruled in his favor.
Trump was found guilty of lying in business records to hide a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair before the 2016 election.
If the sentencing happens as planned, Trump will start his presidency as a convicted felon.
