President-elect Donald Trump expressed outrage on social media after a New York judge scheduled his hush money sentencing in January.
Key Facts:
• A judge set sentencing for January 10 in the hush money case.
• A partial gag order bars Trump from discussing court personnel and certain prosecutors.
• A New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
• The alleged offense involved a payment to an adult film actor during the 2016 campaign.
• Trump’s team has appealed both the gag order and the guilty verdict.
The Rest of The Story:
This case centers on claims that Trump’s former fixer made a secret payout to an adult film star to keep her story from influencing the 2016 election.
Prosecutors argue that hush money payments and related paperwork violated state law.
Trump denies wrongdoing and insists he is the victim of political bias in the judicial system.
Judge Juan Merchan plans to move forward with sentencing in early January, even though Trump will be preparing for his inauguration.
Trump’s lawyers asked for the case to be dismissed under the idea of presidential immunity, but the judge did not accept that argument.
The gag order stopping Trump from criticizing key court figures has fueled his frustration.
He claims the order violates his freedom of speech and that it impedes his right to defend himself publicly.
Meanwhile, critics see it as a standard measure to protect court staff and avoid tainting the process.
Trump’s spokesperson insists the case should be thrown out completely, citing what they believe is an overreach in applying state laws to a federal election matter.
While Merchan has signaled that Trump may face no punishment, the guilty verdict stands unless an appeal succeeds.
🚨 JUST IN: Judge Merchan ordering President Trump to be sentenced is a “last ditch effort against the most resilient man in history,” says @DonaldJTrumpJr
Absolutely it is!
They’re doing this ONLY so they can call Trump a “convicted felon” for 4 years pic.twitter.com/SKtG0mMVLk
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 4, 2025
What’s Next:
Trump has the option to attend sentencing virtually and can still appeal the decision. Whether he can nullify the verdict remains uncertain, but any delay would require further legal maneuvering.
The Bottom Line:
Despite his public outcry, Trump faces a legal deadline he cannot ignore.
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The judge’s decision to press ahead reveals a system determined to finalize a case that has become a flashpoint in partisan debates over accountability and immunity.