Trump sentencing reside: President-elect to study his hush cash case destiny days earlier than the inauguration

On Jan 10, 2025

By KATELYN CARALLE SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER

Published: 12:25, 10 January 2025 | Updated: 12:56, 10 January 2025

Donald Trump will be sentenced in the New York hush money case this morning just 10 days before he is inaugurated as president for the second time.

The 78-year-old will learn his fate after the Supreme Court rejected his bid to delay the hearing in Manhattan.

Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

He will become the first president in history to take the White House has a convicted felon, even though he is only likely to receive a light punishment.

Follow all the updates at DailyMail.com’s live blog.

Will Trump be in court?

Donald Trump was in the New York Supreme Court every day for the marathon hush money case last year.

He watched as the likes of Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen and loyal staff such as Hope Hicks testify.

During breaks in proceedings, he spoke to reporters and railed against the charges against him – describing them as a ‘witch hunt’.

But he is expected to appear remotely from Palm Beach as learns his punishment in the hush money face.

FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump Tower, May 31, 2024, in New York. Trump's lawyers have sent a letter to the Manhattan judge in his hush money criminal case seeking permission to file a motion to set aside the verdict. The letter to Judge Juan M. Merchan cited the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on July 1 and asked the judge to delay Trump's sentencing while he weighs the high court's decision and how it could influence the New York case. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

What punishment does Trump face?

Donald Trump is likely to receive a conditional discharge when he is sentenced in the hush money case.

It means the president-elect will not receive any jail time and will avoid a fine or probation.

However he will get a criminal record, which cements him in history as the first president coming into office as a convicted felon.

FILE - Judge Juan M. Merchan poses in his chambers in New York, March 14, 2024. Manhattan prosecutors are urging the judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal hush money case to uphold a gag order that bars the Republican former president from criticizing jurors, court staff, or members of the prosecution that convicted him. In court papers filed Friday, prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office argued portions of the gag order remained necessary given Trump's "singular history of inflammatory and threatening public statements." (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Supreme Court rejects Trump’s last-minute bid to halt hush money sentencing

President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced in the Stormy Daniels hush money case on Friday after the United States Supreme Court rejected his last-minute bid to halt the case.

The Court found 5-4 that Trump’s sentencing on 34 felony counts would not be an insurmountable burden as he takes back the White House, noting that Judge Juan Merchan has indicated he would not give the incoming president any jail time, fines or probation.

‘First, the alleged evidentiary violations as president-elect Trump’s state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course of appeal,’ the unsigned ruling said.

‘Second, the burden that sentencing will impose on the president elect’s responsibilities is relatively insurmountable in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose a sentence of “unconditional discharge” after a brief virtual hearing.’

Among those who supported the decision were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh would have delayed the sentencing, the order states.