Donald Trump is set to be sentenced today in connection with his criminal conviction for paying hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, a case that has cast a shadow over his efforts to reclaim the White House.
The sentencing, which will take place in a New York state court in Manhattan at 9:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT), follows a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday that rejected Trump’s last-minute attempt to delay the proceedings just days before his Jan. 20 inauguration.
Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the six-week trial in 2024, has indicated that he does not plan to send Trump to jail or impose a fine.
However, the judgement will place a permanent record of guilt on Trump’s criminal record.
The 78-year-old former president, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, is expected to appear virtually at the hearing.
Trump had fought against the spectacle of appearing before a state-level judge so close to his potential return to public office.
Cheryl Bader, a law professor at Fordham University, commented, “He doesn’t want to be sentenced because that is the official judgement of him being a convicted felon.”
This sentencing represents the conclusion of the first-ever criminal case brought against a U.S. president, past or present, and is linked to a broader narrative of legal entanglements surrounding Trump as he pursues a second term in office.
In March 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the $130,000 payment made by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Daniels.
The payment was meant to silence Daniels about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which he denied.
Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, but the charges were a focal point of criticism throughout his campaign for re-election.
Trump was found guilty on all counts by a Manhattan jury on May 30, 2024. Prosecutors argued that the case sought to corrupt the 2016 election process.
Critics pointed to the charges as evidence of Trump’s unfitness for office, while Trump himself has consistently described the case as part of an ongoing effort by political opponents to weaponise the justice system against him.
Trump’s legal team has also been involved in three other criminal indictments and various civil lawsuits, including charges of fraud, defamation, and sexual abuse.
Trump argued that these legal challenges, including this case, were designed to hurt his re-election bid. He frequently attacked prosecutors and witnesses, leading Judge Merchan to fine him $10,000 for violating a gag order.
Merchan’s decision to uphold the verdict emphasised that disregarding the judgement would “undermine the Rule of Law in immeasurable ways,” adding that Trump’s conduct during the trial displayed “disrespect for judges, juries, grand juries, and the justice system as a whole.”
Just hours before today’s sentencing, Trump took to social media, stating that he would appeal the case and expressed confidence in ultimately prevailing.
Despite the legal drama, Trump’s campaign saw a surge in contributions following his indictment in March 2023, which likely helped him secure the Republican nomination.
However, polling during the trial showed that most voters took the charges seriously, and Trump’s standing among Republicans dipped after the guilty verdict.
The hush money case remains politically significant but was seen as less severe than the other ongoing criminal cases Trump faces, including those related to the 2020 election results and the handling of classified documents. Nonetheless, it is the only case to have reached trial, despite numerous legal challenges.
Reuters
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then