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| Donald Trump outside the courtroom after being found guilty | Photo: AFP |
US President-elect Donald Trump is set to be sentenced on January 10 in a case involving his hush money of porn star Stormy Daniels, but a judge said on Friday that he is unlikely to face prison or other punishment.
Donald Trump is on trial in a Manhattan court in New York in a criminal case involving bribing Stormy to cover up a sexual relationship.
Judge Juan Marchán's statement means that Trump will have to appear in court just 10 days before he takes office as president on January 20. This is a rare sight in US history, as no former or current president of the country has been convicted of a crime before Trump.
The judge said in his order that Trump (78) must appear in court, either in person or virtually, for his sentencing on January 10. He does not intend to sentence Trump to prison. He will be given a sentence of 'unconditional release' (a type of suspended sentence); meaning he will not be required to serve any time in custody, pay a fine or serve probation. This would be the most effective solution.
Trump will have the opportunity to appeal such a ruling. The judge said Trump has made his intentions clear regarding the appeal.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said, "Trump should not be sentenced to prison in this case. This illegal case is never worthy of consideration. The case must be dismissed immediately—it is constitutionally required."
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| Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels in the courtroom in sketch | Photo: Reuters |
Trump's defense attorneys have argued that keeping the case alive during the president's term would hinder his ability to govern.
However, the judge rejected this argument, saying that overturning the jury's verdict would irreparably undermine the rule of law.
Incidentally, in the lawsuit, Stormy Daniels alleged that she had a sexual relationship with Trump in a hotel in Nevada in 2006. In order for her to keep the incident secret, Trump paid her $130,000 in 2016 through a personal lawyer. At that time, Trump was campaigning as a Republican Party candidate in the US presidential election. He also concealed the information about the bribe in his business documents.
Trump has consistently denied the allegations of sexual misconduct and bribery with Stormy Daniels, claiming that the Biden administration was politically motivated to block his entry into the White House.
Trump is the first US president to face criminal charges, having been convicted in May last year by a Manhattan District Court judge.
Trump was initially scheduled to be sentenced on July 11 last year after his conviction, but that was postponed several times. On Thursday, Judge Marchand said Trump had requested that his sentencing be postponed until after the election in August.