*Judge Juan Merchan, in an 18-page decision, upholds United States President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 conviction by a New York jury, rejecting various motions from his lawyers seeking to have the case dismissed, as the sentence will see Trump entering the White House, in Washington, as a ‘convicted felon’

*This illegitimate political attack is nothing but a rigged charade, retorts Trump

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

The New York Judge presiding over United States (US) President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 hush money case Friday, January 3, 2025, set sentencing for 10 days before his Monday, January 20 inauguration.

Judge Juan Merchan, however, said he was not inclined to impose jail time on Trump.

Merchan also noted Trump, the first former US President ever convicted of a crime, could appear either in person or virtually at his sentencing January 10 this year, agency report said.

Mercha, in an 18-page decision, upheld Trump鈥檚 conviction by a New York jury, rejecting various motions from Trump鈥檚 lawyers seeking to have it thrown out.

The Judge, nonetheless, disclosed that instead of incarceration he was leaning towards an unconditional discharge 鈥� meaning President-elect Trump, a real estate tycoon, would not be subject to any conditions.

Implications of sentencing Trump ahead of US Presidential inauguration

It was gathered the sentence in the New York court would nevertheless see Trump entering the White House, in Washington, as a convicted felon.

The 78-year-old Trump potentially faced up to four years in prison but legal experts 鈥� even before he won the November presidential election 鈥� did not expect Merchan to send the former President to jail.

鈥淚t seems proper at this juncture to make known the Court鈥檚 inclination to not impose any sentence of incarceration,鈥� the Judge said.

Besides, the Judge said prosecutors also did not believe a jail term was a 鈥減racticable recommendation鈥�.

Trump: It’s illegitimate political attack, a Rigged Charade

Reacting to his impending sentencing in the New York court, Trump, who is expected to lodge an appeal that could potentially delay his sentencing, Friday, January 3 denounced the decision.

The President-elect wrote on his platform Truth Social: “This illegitimate political attack is nothing but a Rigged Charade.”

Calling Merchan a 鈥渞adical partisan,鈥� Trump added that the order was 鈥渒nowingly unlawful, goes against our Constitution and, if allowed to stand, would be the end of the Presidency as we know it.鈥�

Infractions, legal proceedings leading to Trump’s conviction

It is recalled that Trump was convicted in New York, May 2024, of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election to stop her from revealing an alleged 2006 sexual encounter.

The US President-elect’s attorneys had sought to have the case dismissed on multiple grounds, including the Supreme Court鈥檚 landmark ruling last year that former US presidents have sweeping immunity from prosecution for a range of official acts committed while in office.

Merchan, however, rejected that argument, but he noted that Trump would be immune to prosecution once he is sworn in as President of the United States.

The Judge said: 鈥淔inding no legal impediment to sentencing and recognising that Presidential immunity will likely attach once Defendant takes his Oath of Office, it is incumbent upon this Court to set this matter down for imposition of sentence prior to January 20, 2025.”

On alleged ‘witch hunts鈥�

Meanwhile, Trump Spokesman Steven Cheung has denounced Merchan鈥檚 decision to set sentencing for the former president.

Cheung called the development as a 鈥渄irect violation of the Supreme Court鈥檚 Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence.鈥�

The Spokeman said in a statement: “This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed.

鈥淧resident Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts.”

He also stated: 鈥淭here should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead.”

Trump, a serial lawbreaker?

Earlier, Trump had faced two Federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith, but both were dropped under a long-standing Justice Department policy of not prosecuting a sitting president.

In those cases, Trump was accused of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden and removing large quantities of top secret documents after leaving the White House.

The US equally faces racketeering charges in Georgia over his alleged efforts at subverting the 2020 election results in the southern state, but that case will likely be frozen while he is in the White House, report noted.

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