Donald Trump hush money trial: Judge sets sentencing for January 10, signals no jail time
The Hindu
Trump faces sentencing for hush money case before returning to White House, unlikely to be jailed.
In an extraordinary turn, a judge Friday set President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing in his hush money case for January 10 — little over a week before he's due to return to the White House — but indicated he wouldn't be jailed.
The development nevertheless leaves Mr. Trump on course to be the first president to take office convicted of felony crimes.
Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial, signaled in a written decision that he'd sentence the former and future president to what's known as a conditional discharge, in which a case gets dismissed if a defendant avoids rearrest.
Mr. Merchan rejected Mr. Trump’s push to dismiss the verdict and throw out the case on presidential immunity grounds and because of his impending return to the White House. The judge said he found “no legal impediment to sentencing” Trump and that it was “incumbent” on him to sentence Trump prior to his swearing in on Jan. 20.
“Only by bringing finality to this matter” will the interests of justice be served, Mr. Merchan wrote.
Mr. Trump was convicted in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records. They involved an alleged scheme to hide a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the last weeks of Trump’s first campaign in 2016. The payout was made to keep her from publicizing claims she’d had sex with the married Trump years earlier. He says that her story is false and that he did nothing wrong.
After Mr. Trump’s November 5 election, Mr. Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case.
Iran rejects a U.S. ceasefire proposal, outlining five conditions for peace amid ongoing conflict with Israel.
Gulf states warn the UN of an existential threat from Iran's strikes, calling for condemnation and monitoring of the situation.
Matt Brittin, ex-Google executive, appointed as BBC's new director general amid ongoing $10 billion lawsuit from Trump.
Pakistan's PM Sharif briefs Saudi Crown Prince on mediating U.S.-Iran talks and reaffirms support amid regional tensions.
Iranian military ridicules Trump's ceasefire claims, asserting U.S. negotiations are merely self-deceptions amid strategic failures.
Denmark's recent election results leave Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's future uncertain amid a fragmented parliamentary landscape.
An explosion at Valero's Port Arthur refinery caused a temporary shutdown but resulted in no reported injuries.
Anduril and Palantir Technologies are working together to develop software for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome antimissile shield initiative, a source familiar with the matter said
A federal judge weighing the merits of the Pentagon’s designation of rising Silicon Valley star Anthropic as a security threat repeatedly questioned the government’s reasons for vilifying the company
When the conflict in West Asia, which began with the U.S. and Israel’s attack on Iran on February 28, escalated into a regional war, analysts said that the war would last as long as Iran had missiles or until the Gulf nations ran out of interceptors. However, with “emergency” military sales, piling monetary costs and a strained supply chain, is the U.S. becoming too constrained in its effort to keep the war going — both militarily and monetarily?
U.S.-Israel war on Iran LIVE: Follow The Hindu for updates on the West Asia conflict on March 25, 2026
Jair Bolsonaro to serve his sentence at home due to health issues, monitored by police, with a review in 90 days.
A New Mexico jury finds Meta liable for harming children's mental health, marking a significant shift in accountability for tech companies.