Trump’s hush money sentencing set for Jan. 10, no jail time expected

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is set to face sentencing on January 10 for his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records, marking an unprecedented moment in U.S. history as a president-elect prepares for inauguration while under the shadow of criminal charges.

Judge Juan Merchan, presiding over the Manhattan case, rejected Trump’s motion to dismiss the verdict but announced that he does not plan to impose a jail sentence. Instead, Merchan stated his intention to issue an “unconditional discharge,” a non-custodial sentence that carries no probation or further obligations. Trump, who won the 2024 presidential election, will have the option to attend sentencing in person or virtually.

“While this Court as a matter of law must not make any determination on sentencing prior to giving the parties and Defendant the opportunity to be heard, it seems proper at this juncture to make known the Court’s inclination to not impose any sentence of incarceration,” Merchan wrote in his ruling.

The charges stem from a $130,000 hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that the payments were falsely recorded as legal fees, an act the jury unanimously determined was intended to conceal unlawful activities related to Trump’s election campaign.