Judge Orders Donald Trump to Be Sentenced on January 10 in Hush Money Case

A judge has ordered Donald Trump to be sentenced on January 10 in the criminal case related to hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The ruling was made by Justice Juan Merchan on January 3, despite Trump’s efforts to have the case dismissed following his presidential election victory.

Trump was convicted in May 2024 of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign. The payment was meant to keep Daniels quiet about an alleged affair with Trump, which he denies. In May, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts related to the falsification of business records. This marked the first time a U.S. president, whether former or sitting, had been convicted of a criminal offense.

The judge rejected Trump’s motion to dismiss the case, which argued that the ongoing legal proceedings would interfere with his ability to govern as president. Merchan stated that dismissing the case would undermine the rule of law and wrote that Trump’s status as president-elect did not warrant the extreme measure of dismissing the charges. He also noted that Trump could attend the sentencing in person or virtually.

Prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office had suggested alternative measures, such as delaying the sentencing until after Trump leaves office in 2029 or ensuring that any sentence would not involve prison time. They also proposed the possibility of terminating the case with a notation that Trump’s conviction had not been reversed on appeal, a practice sometimes used in cases where a defendant dies before sentencing.

The case has added to the list of legal troubles facing Trump, who is also facing charges in other criminal cases, including one involving classified documents and two others related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Despite the legal challenges, Trump continues to maintain his innocence and has dismissed the cases as politically motivated.