President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced today at 9:30 a.m. ET in the New York hush-money case, becoming the first U.S. president to face criminal sentencing while preparing to take office.
What to Know:
- Trump is expected to receive an unconditional discharge, meaning the conviction will stand without additional penalties such as jail time.
- The Supreme Court cleared the way for the sentencing by rejecting Trump’s request to halt the proceeding in a 5-4 decision yesterday.
- Trump was convicted in May of falsifying records tied to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election.
- Daniels testified about a 2006 encounter with Trump, which he has denied, while the payments were facilitated by Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen.
- Trump has indicated plans to explore further appeals, including challenging the original verdict.
Stay with Newsweek for ongoing coverage of today’s historic sentencing.
09:10 AM EST New Yorkers will not be able to watch the proceedings inside the courtroom. Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, has decided not to allow cameras for live broadcasts. Instead, news networks will provide coverage from outside the courthouse.
New York is one of only two states that require judicial approval for trial proceedings to be aired. Judge Merchan has not granted such permission for this hearing, ensuring that the proceedings will remain private.
09:00 AM EST Donald Trump’s sentencing will be happening at 9:30 a.m. ET in New York.
Trump will not physically be in the courtroom for the sentencing; however, he will be joining in virtually from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
08:51 AM EST Judge Juan Merchan, the New York Supreme Court judge overseeing Donald Trump’s hush money trial, is a seasoned and respected jurist with a reputation for both toughness and fairness. Merchan has had a long career in law, beginning as an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in 1994. Over the years, he gained prominence, eventually serving in high-profile cases such as the Trump Organization tax fraud trial and the sentencing of Trump’s associate, Allen Weisselberg.
Merchan, born in Bogotá, Colombia, and raised in Jackson Heights, Queens, became the first in his family to attend college. His early legal work took him from the attorney general’s office to Family Court in the Bronx, before his appointment to the New York State Court of Claims and later as an acting New York Supreme Court judge in 2009.
Judge Juan M. Merchan sits for a portrait in his chambers in New York, March 14, 2024. Judge Juan M. Merchan sits for a portrait in his chambers in New York, March 14, 2024. Seth Wenig/AP
Known for his no-nonsense approach in the courtroom, Merchan has earned respect from attorneys and defendants alike. Despite this, he has faced criticism from Trump, who has accused him of bias due to his daughter’s ties to Democratic political campaigns. However, Merchan has consistently maintained his impartiality, issuing a gag order against Trump to prevent any attempts to disrupt the proceedings.
Throughout his career, Merchan has also earned recognition for his compassionate rulings in the Manhattan Mental Health Court, providing second chances for those with mental health issues while ensuring fair trials for all. His combination of tough rulings and empathetic decision-making has made him a significant figure in the New York legal landscape.
08:42 AM EST At 3 a.m. today, the Department of Justice filed a notice of appeal to overturn Judge Cannon’s order preventing the release of the Jack Smith final report on Donald Trump. Reporter Jose Pagliery tweeted that the filing stresses the DOJ’s recognition of the report’s importance, particularly with the January 20 deadline approaching.
At 3 am, the DOJ filed a notice of appeal seeking to reverse Judge Cannon’s order that stops the release of the Jack Smith final report on Donald Trump.
That, and this line in the filing, indicate how prosecutors realize the importance of the report going public before Jan 20. pic.twitter.com/KNJfW1AVWU
— Jose Pagliery (@Jose_Pagliery) January 10, 2025
08:33 AM EST Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan, a Democrat, had delayed the sentencing of President-elect Donald Trump multiple times, initially scheduled for July, before finalizing Friday’s date. Merchan cited the need for “finality” in his written statement, emphasizing the importance of balancing Trump’s governance with the jury’s verdict and public expectations that “no one is above the law.”
Trump’s legal team made several last-minute attempts to halt the proceedings, but those efforts were thwarted on Thursday night when the U.S. Supreme Court, in a narrow 5-4 decision, rejected their request for a delay. This clears the path for Trump’s historic sentencing, set to take place just days before his inauguration.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 09, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. Stormy Daniels departs ‘The View’ studios on March 21, 2024, in New York City. The Supreme Court denied Trump’s request to stay sentencing… U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 09, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. Stormy Daniels departs ‘The View’ studios on March 21, 2024, in New York City. The Supreme Court denied Trump’s request to stay sentencing for his hush-money conviction. Scott Olson/Gotham/GC Images/Getty Images
With just 10 days before his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump is expected to receive an unconditional discharge during Friday’s sentencing, according to Judge Juan Merchan. The no-penalty sentence would impose no jail time, probation, or fines, with prosecutors not opposing the decision. However, the final outcome will not be confirmed until the proceedings conclude.
Regardless of the sentence, Trump will make history as the first individual convicted of a felony to take the oath of office, marking an unprecedented chapter in American political and legal history.
08:07 AM EST The hush money case against President-elect Donald Trump revolves around allegations that he falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. The payment, made during the final days of Trump’s 2016 campaign, was intended to prevent Daniels from publicly discussing an alleged sexual encounter she claims occurred in 2006.
Trump denies the encounter and has called the case a politically motivated attack by his adversaries.
With a state judge set to sentence a man on the brink of becoming president, the case emphasizes an unprecedented moment in U.S. history. It raises questions about the intersection of legal accountability and political leadership in the nation’s highest office.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago, Thursday, January 9, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday for his criminal conviction stemming from hush… President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago, Thursday, January 9, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday for his criminal conviction stemming from hush money paid to a porn star. Evan Vucci/AP
President-elect Donald Trump is set to be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. EST on Friday, following Judge Juan Merchan’s order finalizing the proceedings. The Manhattan-based judge also denied Trump’s request to overturn the guilty verdict in his case, ensuring the sentencing moves forward just days before his inauguration.
Trump is expected to appear via video from his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida, where he will have the chance to address the court.
The case, which Trump has consistently criticized, is the only one among his four criminal indictments to go to trial. His virtual appearance is likely to draw intense public and media scrutiny.
