Trump's Sentencing Date Set, But No Jail Time Expected

In a surprising twist, a judge has set a sentencing date for President-elect Donald Trump in his hush money case, just over a week before he's due to return to the White House. But, the judge has signaled that Trump won't be going to jail. This makes Trump the first president to start their term with a criminal conviction. The judge, Juan M. Merchan, who oversaw Trump's trial, plans to give Trump a conditional discharge. This means no jail time, fine, or probation. Merchan refused Trump's request to dismiss the verdict due to presidential immunity or his upcoming return to the White House. The judge believes that sentencing Trump before he's sworn in on January 20 is crucial for justice. Trump was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records. This involves a scheme to hide a payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the final days of his 2016 campaign. The payment was meant to keep Daniels silent about her claims of having sex with Trump years ago, which he denies. After Trump's election in November, the judge paused the case. Trump's lawyers wanted the case tossed, arguing that it would disrupt his presidency. Prosecutors agreed some accommodations should be made but insisted the conviction stand. They suggested freezing the case during his term or guaranteeing no jail time.

Merchan ruled that Trump's status as president-elect doesn't grant him the same immunity as a sitting president. He also noted that dismissing the case would hurt the rule of law. The case focuses on how Trump accounted for reimbursing his lawyer, Michael Cohen, for the Daniels payment. Cohen fronted the money and was reimbursed through a series of payments logged as legal expenses, which Trump signed. Prosecutors said these were meant to hide the payments' true purpose and help Trump's campaign. Trump maintains Cohen was paid for legal services and that Daniels' story was suppressed to avoid family embarrassment, not influence voters. Trump argues the verdict is a result of a "witch hunt" by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Before his election, Trump's lawyers tried to overturn his conviction based on a Supreme Court decision giving presidents immunity. This request was still pending when the election raised new issues. Since Trump's election, federal cases against him have ended. One involved his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and another alleged he kept classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A state-level election interference case in Georgia is currently on hold.

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