New York judge sets Jan 10 as Trump's sentencing date in Hush Money case, rules out prison term

Donald Trump is set to be sentenced on January 10 in the Hush Money case just days ahead of him being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case in New York, ruled out prison time for the former president. This ruling has ignited debate across US and the world.

The Trump hush money case involves allegations that Trump inflated business records to cover up a payoff to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels said she had an affair with Trump, in which he has always denied. The payments were purportedly made to silence her ahead of the election. Trump had his case thrown out of court in an 18-page ruling by Judge Merchan, even though he won the 2024 US Presidential Election. The judge also said that Trump sentencing will go forward either in person or virtually, depending on the convenience of the president-elect. "The sentence is jail, obviously not appropriate here," Merchan said in the motion.

Trump's lawyers maintained that the case interfered with the transition process of the presidency and requested that it be entirely thrown out. On the other hand, the law and rule of law would be undermined if the jury verdict is set aside, according to Judge Merchan. But he added that the ruling on presidential immunity was irrelevant because the relevant events occurred before Trump took office. The Trump Jan 10 sentencing is symbolic and will be the first US president-elect to take office with a criminal conviction. Though Merchan described the sentence as “unconditional discharge” —meaning no jail time, no fine and no probation — it’s nonetheless a historic moment in US news and worldnews. Legalexperts say the outcome is typical of Trump’s lack of a criminal record and his advanced age.

Trump has denied wrongdoing, calling the case a “political witch hunt.” His spokesman, Steven Cheung, said Trump should be allowed to concentrate on his forthcoming inauguration and the work of the presidency.

Likewise, the debate over a Trump prison sentence means that January 10 is another date marked in US and global politics.