And so, the judge in New York has set the sentencing date for President-elect Donald Trump on January 10, just 10 days ahead of his inauguration. Judge Juan Merchan remarked that he has no intention of sending Trump’s former president to jail for the crimes he committed but would rather leave him as he is. Trump, the first former president to be convicted of a crime, may attend the sentencing either personally or through teleconferencing.
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The judge is upholding Trump’s conviction as ruled by a New York jury thus rejecting the motions by Trump’s lawyers to dismiss the case. Trump was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels before the election in 2016. The judge held that Trump would thus be protected from criminal prosecution once sworn into office as president.
In stark contrast, the move was derided by Trump who tagged the same a “rigged charade” labeling the judge, Merchan, as a “radical partisan.” His spokesman, Steven Cheung, further criticized the ruling, saying it contravened the Supreme Court decision on immunity. Other suits facing Trump include federal cases and racketeering charges in Georgia which are expected to become dormant as Trump assumes duties as president.