Trump to be sentenced in New York hush money case

With conscionable 10 days earlier helium is inaugurated for a 2nd term, the president-elect volition beryllium the archetypal convicted felon to beryllium sworn into office.

Friday's sentencing proceeding is acceptable to commencement astatine 9:30 a.m. ET. Trump, who is expected to look by video from his Mar-a-Lago nine successful Florida, volition person the accidental to speak.

Trump: 'We're going to entreaty anyway'

Merchan repeatedly postponed the sentencing, initially acceptable for July. But past week, he set Friday's date, citing a request for “finality.” He wrote that helium strove to equilibrium Trump's request to govern, the Supreme Court's immunity ruling, the respect owed a assemblage verdict and the public’s anticipation that "no 1 is supra the law.”

Trump's lawyers past launched a flurry of last-minute efforts to artifact the sentencing connected the ground of statesmanlike immunity applying to Trump adjacent arsenic president-elect. Their past anticipation vanished Thursday night.

In a 5-4 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney-Barret declined to hold the sentencing, assuring Trump's presumption arsenic the archetypal felon to presume the presidency.

The justices emphasized the lenient sentencing that has already been floated for Trump, writing: "The load that sentencing volition enforce connected the President-Elect's responsibilities is comparatively insubstantial successful airy of the proceedings court's authorities intent to enforce a sentencing of "unconditional discharge" aft a little virtual hearing."

Following the ruling, Trump said, "We're going to entreaty anyway, conscionable psychologically, due to the fact that frankly, it's a disgrace. It's a justice who shouldn't person been connected the case. He's a highly conflicted judge, and they called for an appeal. So, I work it and thought it was a just determination actually. So I'll bash my small happening tomorrow. They tin person amusive with their governmental opponent."

'Unconditional discharge' likely for Trump

In May, a New York City assemblage recovered Trump blameworthy connected 34 counts of falsifying concern records successful transportation to payments made to big movie histrion Stormy Daniels up of the 2016 election. Daniels was paid during the run to support quiescent astir an matter she allegedly had with Trump, which helium denies.

Each number is punishable by up to 4 years successful situation and/or a good of up to $5,000.

Merchan has suggested that he's improbable to condemnation Trump to prison. Instead, he's expected to enforce the astir lenient sentencing fixed the bonzer circumstances surrounding the president-elect's imminent inauguration.

That would apt effect successful an "unconditional discharge," meaning Trump would stay a convicted felon but look nary ineligible penalties for the crime.

NewsNation analogous Tom Dempsey and The Associated Press contributed to this report.