Judge Juan Merchan ordered President-elect Donald Trump to be sentenced before his inauguration this month.

Merchan found there is “no legal impediment” to imposing a sentence and ordered Trump to appear in court on January 10.

“This Court has painstakingly considered the respective arguments of the parties and finds that setting aside the jury verdict is not the best or only way to reconcile the competing interests,” Merchan wrote.

Waiting until Trump finishes his term to impose a sentence is “less desirable” than doing so before he begins, Merchan wrote, indicating that he would not impose “any sentence of incarceration.”

“[A] sentence of an unconditional discharge appears to be the most viable solution to ensure finality and allow Defendant to pursue his appellate options,” Merchan wrote.

BREAKING: Judge orders Trump to be sentenced before inauguration on Jan. 10. pic.twitter.com/uijFDojL9H

— Katelynn Richardson (@katesrichardson) January 3, 2025

Trump may appear virtually to the hearing, the order states.

“[T]his Court recognizes the importance of considering and balancing the seemingly competing factors before it: ensuring that the Executive Branch is free to fully dispense the duties of the President and safeguard the interests of the Nation, unencumbered by pending criminal proceedings; to ensure that the Supreme Court’s ruling and the citizenry’s expectation be honored that all are equal and no one is above the law; and the importance of protecting the sanctity of a jury verdict,” Merchan wrote. “This Court is simply not persuaded that the first factor outweighs the others at this stage of the proceeding, either on its own or in conjunction with the other Clayton factors.”

Trump Communications Director Steven Cheung said there should be “no sentencing,” affirming that Trump would “continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead.”

“Today’s order by the deeply conflicted, Acting Justice Merchan in the Manhattan DA Witch Hunt is a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence,” Cheung said. “This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed. President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts.”

A Manhattan jury convicted Trump on 34 felony counts for falsifying business records related to a nondisclosure agreement with porn star Stormy Daniels in May after a weeks-long trial. The jury instructions provided by Merchan did not require them to agree on the underlying crime prosecutors alleged Trump falsified records to conceal.

Sentencing was initially set for days before the Republican National Convention in July but has been repeatedly pushed back. It was first delayed because of the Supreme Court’s ruling in July on presidential immunity.

After Trump’s election victory in November, Merchan indefinitely delayed the sentencing date.

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Katelynn Richardson

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