American President-elect Donald Trump, criminally convicted in New York in the spring for hidden payments to an X-rated movie star, will receive his sentence on January 10, ten days before his inauguration, but he will not go to prison, announced , Friday, January 3, the Manhattan court judge.
2 mins
Donald Trump must ” appear for his sentence, following his conviction, on January 10, 2025 “, ordered Manhattan court judge Juan Merchan on Friday, January 3, in a court document. He clarified that he was not “ inclined to impose a sentence of incarceration » to the former and future tenant of the White House, aged 78. The one who on January 20 will be the 47th President of the United States denounced a “ masquerade “.
The New York State magistrate, however, recalled that a firm prison sentence – with a possible committal warrant – was made legally possible by the historic criminal conviction of spring 2024. The convicted person will have to appear in person in court, at the courthouse in the south of the big New York island of Manhattan, or remotely by video, but he has until Sunday to make his “ preference “.
After six weeks of trial in the middle of the electoral campaign, in an electric climate, Donald Trump was on May 30 the first former American president (2017-2021) to be criminally convicted. The Manhattan court jury found him guilty of 34 counts of making hidden payments to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, carried out just before the presidential election of November 2016. He is accused of “ aggravated accounting falsification to conceal conspiracy to pervert the 2016 election » which he won against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
A ” illegitimate political attack which is nothing other than a charade »
Justice concluded that the $130,000 paid to Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was supposed to silence her over a brief sexual encounter in 2006 when Donald Trump was already married to Melania, then pregnant with their son. The person concerned denies any sexual relationship.
After months of appeal and the victory in the presidential election of November 5, the Trump camp failed to overturn this historic verdict on the basis of presidential immunity. This immunity was extended on July 1 by a decision of the Supreme Court of the United States. Under enormous political pressure, Judge Merchan had postponed the sentencing several times since May 30.
In the evening, Donald Trump thundered on his Truth Social network against a “ illegitimate political attack which is nothing other than a charade » and once again attacked Judge Merchan, “ extremist partisan ” And ” without respect for the Constitution “.
Today’s debateWill Trump be as radical as advertised?