By Democrats have given up on their lawfare against Donald Trump. In a historic ruling, Judge Juan M. Merchan has officially scheduled Donald Trump’s sentencing for January 10, just days before his anticipated presidential inauguration. Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records tied to a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Despite the verdict, Judge Merchan signaled that Trump will not face jail time. Instead, the judge is expected to impose a “conditional discharge”—a legal resolution allowing the case to close without imprisonment, fines, or probation. This approach reflects an attempt to balance legal accountability with the practical implications of Trump’s upcoming presidential responsibilities.
CBS News writes that Justice Juan Merchan’s ruling ends two months of speculation — and back and forth jockeying by Trump’s attorneys and prosecutors for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg — following Trump’s narrow election victory on Nov. 5.
Trump became the first former president ever convicted of crimes in May, when a unanimous jury found him guilty in the New York case. Sentencing in the case was stalled for months as Trump campaigned for a return to the presidency. In November, he became the first person voted into the White House after a criminal conviction.
“This court finds that neither the vacatur of the jury’s verdicts nor dismissal of the indictment are required by the Presidential immunity doctrine, the Presidential Transition Act or the Supremacy Clause,” Merchan wrote in his order Friday.
Merchan indicated in his ruling that Trump will not be sentenced to serve time behind bars. He wrote that prosecutors agree with this decision. He also said that Trump may appear virtually, rather than in person for the sentencing.
The case revolves around a $130,000 payment made by Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, to Stormy Daniels in the critical weeks leading up to the 2016 election, combining several misdemeanors into one bigger “crime” that was called flimsy by even liberal lawyers.
The prosecutor, a Democratic donor, argued that Trump disguised reimbursements to Cohen as legal expenses, thereby falsifying business records to cover up the payment’s true purpose. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the payments were intended to spare his family embarrassment, not to sway the election outcome.
Both the New York attorney general and Manhattan DA had promised to deploy lawfare against Trump in their elections.
Following Trump’s 2024 presidential victory, the sentencing process faced delays as both prosecution and defense teams presented their arguments. Trump’s legal team pushed for a dismissal of the case, citing concerns over potential constitutional disruptions to his presidency. While acknowledging the case’s unprecedented nature, prosecutors stood firm, asserting that the conviction must be upheld to maintain the rule of law.
In his final ruling, Judge Merchan rejected Trump’s motion for dismissal, emphasizing the critical importance of legal finality and equal application of justice. He cautioned that dismissing the case could establish a dangerous legal precedent and fail to address significant constitutional questions.
Although Trump will avoid incarceration, his legal team has already signaled intentions to appeal the conviction in higher courts.
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