A New York judge on Friday upheld President-elect Donald Trump’s conviction in a criminal money laundering case and scheduled his sentencing for January 10.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan said Trump, who is 78, could appear in person or virtually at his sentencing.
Trump’s lawyers have fought to dismiss the case in view of Trump’s re-election in November.
Merchan said that rejecting the jury’s verdict would “grossly undermine the rule of law.”
Trump’s criminal conviction upheld
Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments made by his former fixer to an adult film star before the 2016 election.
This means Trump would be the first convicted criminal to become president.
Judge says he has no intention of sentencing Trump to prison
Merchan wrote that he was not inclined to sentence Trump to prison and that a sentence of “unconditional discharge”, meaning no custody, monetary fines or probation, would be “the most viable solution”.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung condemned the decision as “a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s immunity decision and other long-standing jurisprudence.”
“This lawless case should never have been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed,” Cheung said in a statement.
Trump’s lawyers ask to dismiss hush money case
Trump’s lawyers have argued in separate cases that Trump enjoyed presidential immunity while in office.
Merchan rejected this argument and said that the elected president would have immunity from prosecution after being sworn in as president.
The judge said, “Finding no legal impediment to sentencing and recognizing that presidential immunity would potentially be engaged once the defendant takes the oath of office, it is incumbent upon this Court to set this case before January 20.” , schedule sentencing no later than 2025.”
Trump is expected to appeal his conviction and may pursue other legal avenues next week to prevent a conviction.
ESS/RM (Reuters, AP, AFP)
