Trump must be sentenced in hush money case, judge signals no jail

4/1/2025 7:14

President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced on Jan. 10 in the criminal case in which he was convicted on charges involving hush money paid to a porn star, but is unlikely to face jail time, a judge said on Friday.



Justice Juan Merchan's ruling means Trump will be required to appear at a court hearing just 10 days before his Jan. 20 inauguration - an unprecedented scenario in U.S. history. Before Trump, no U.S. president - former or sitting - had been charged with or convicted of a crime.



The judge said Trump, 78, may appear at his sentencing either in person or virtually.



He wrote that he was not inclined to sentence Trump to jail, and that a sentence of "unconditional discharge" - meaning no custody, monetary fine, or probation - would be "the most viable solution."