A judge on Friday set US President-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing in his secret funds case for January 10 – just over a week before he is due to return to the White House – but promised not to jail him.
Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial, indicated in a written decision that he would sentence the former and future president to what is known as conditional release, in which the case is dismissed if the defendant avoids re-arrest.
This development represents another development in the individual case.
Jury Trump was convicted in May Among the 34 counts of falsifying business records relate to a $130,000 bribe payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. Trump denies any wrongdoing.
The allegations included a scheme to hide money paid to Daniels during the final days of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to prevent her from going public with her claim of a sexual encounter with the married businessman years earlier. He says nothing sexual happened between them.
After Trump was elected on November 5, Merchan suspended the proceedings and postponed sentencing indefinitely so that the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case.
Trump’s lawyers urged Merchan to drop it. They said this would constitute unconstitutional “disruptions” to the next president’s ability to run the country.
Prosecutors acknowledged that some concessions were necessary for his future presidency, but insisted that the conviction should stand.
They proposed various options, such as freezing the case during his term or ensuring that he is not imprisoned. They also proposed closing the case with his conviction and appeal formally noted as unresolved — an idea drawn from what some state courts do when criminal defendants die while their cases are being appealed.
Trump takes office on January 20.
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