A mandate for the President-elect Donald Trump to attend his postponed sentencing hearing related to a hush money case was given by the presiding judge in New York. This order arrives seven months after Trump was found guilty of all 34 criminal charges against him. This groundbreaking sentencing is set for Jan 10, which is a mere 10 days ahead of Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president.
Despite his felony convictions, it is improbable that Trump will serve time in prison. In accord with the prosecutor’s perspective, the judge has accepted that imprisonment is not a feasible option. This indicates that the judge could potentially decide not to impose any penalty.
Trump’s attendance at the court proceedings could be virtual, subject to his preference. Regardless of the circumstance, the judge’s decision will solidify Trump’s position as a felon – an entirely new situation for an American president.
Post his election victory in November, Trump’s legal representatives advocated for the dismissal of the entire case. Several sentencing avenues were proposed by the prosecutors, as the sentencing had been postponed due to a Supreme Court ruling that presidents can’t be criminally prosecuted for official actions. But the uncertainty was laid to rest last month.
The clarity emerged when it was established that the charges laid against Trump did not involve any aspect related to his duties as president, making them legitimate. Currently, the inclination appears to be towards an unconditional discharge as the most plausible resolution. This resolution would have a finalistic approach, while also permitting Trump to explore his appeal options.
An unconditional discharge is an uncommon type of sentencing that lets the defendant walk away free without any conditions whatsoever. The case was focused on a payment of $130,000 made prior to the 2016 election to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Daniels, who agreed to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump in exchange for the money, was presented as a central figure in this case.
During the period when this payment was executed, Trump’s candidacy was under serious threat due to a concurrent scandal. Trump has continually denied all allegations of an affair with Daniels and insists his innocence.
The said payment was executed by Trump’s then personal attorney, who testified during the trial about how he received his remuneration from Trump over a span of a year. Each charge against Trump correspondingly relates to a business record from New York state that, according to prosecutors, was deliberately altered to disguise the arrangement.
As a repercussion of this trial, Trump has plans to assign two of his lawyers from this case, as posts in the Justice Department. This is seen as a move to strengthen his inner circle with trusted allies.