In an unprecedented moment in U.S. history, President-elect Donald Trump is set to face sentencing Friday for his New York hush money conviction. This comes after the Supreme Court declined to intervene, leaving the conviction intact as Trump prepares to assume office.
What Time Will Trump Be Sentenced?
Trump’s sentencing is set for 9:30 a.m. EST, following an order issued Friday by Manhattan-based Judge Juan Merchan. The judge also denied the President-elect’s request to overturn the guilty verdict in his case, solidifying the timeline for sentencing proceedings just days before Trump’s inauguration.
Will Trump Appear in Person for His Sentence?
Trump is expected to appear by video from his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida for Friday’s sentencing, where he will have the opportunity to address the court.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the case, the sole one among his four criminal indictments to go to trial—and potentially the only one that ever will. His appearance will therefore draw significant attention.
Why Is Trump on Trial?
The hush money case centers on allegations that Trump falsified his business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. The payment, made late in Trump’s 2016 campaign, was intended to keep Daniels from publicly discussing an alleged sexual encounter she claims occurred a decade earlier.
Trump denies the encounter ever happened, asserting that the prosecution is a politically motivated effort by his adversaries to tarnish his reputation.
What Could This Mean for Trump’s Presidency?
The case, unimaginable just a few years ago, sees a state judge deciding the legal consequences for a man poised to once again assume the nation’s highest office after being found guilty by a jury. As such, the proceedings mark a defining chapter in U.S. legal and political history, and highlights the extraordinary political dynamics surrounding the incoming administration.
Will Trump Face a Fine?
With just 10 days until his inauguration, Trump is expected to receive an unconditional discharge during Friday’s sentencing, as indicated by Merchan. This no-penalty sentence would mean no jail time, probation, or fines, and prosecutors are not opposing the decision. However, nothing will be finalized until the proceedings conclude.
Regardless of the outcome, Trump will make history as the first individual convicted of a felony to assume the presidency, underscoring the unprecedented nature of this moment in American political and legal history.
What People Are Saying
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office brought the charges said in a court filing Monday that Trump committed “serious offenses that caused extensive harm to the sanctity of the electoral process and to the integrity of New York’s financial marketplace.”
President-elect Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform last week “I never falsified business records. It is a fake, made up charge.”
Can Trump Appeal His Conviction Any Further?
Merchan, a Democrat, delayed sentencing multiple times, with the original date set for July. Last week, he finalized Friday’s date, emphasizing the need for “finality.” In his written statement, Merchan noted his efforts to balance Trump’s need to govern, the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling, the respect owed to the jury’s verdict, and the public’s expectation that “no one is above the law.”
In response, Trump’s legal team launched a series of last-minute efforts to halt the proceedings. However, their final hope was extinguished Thursday night when the Supreme Court, in a narrow 5-4 decision, declined to delay the sentencing, clearing the way for Friday’s historic moment.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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