Judge orders Trump to be sentenced in hush money case Jan. 10, but says he won’t be jailed

The judge presiding over the hush money case against President-elect Donald Trump on Friday rejected his offer to dismiss the case and said he would sentence him on January 10, ten days before his inauguration as the 47th. president.

Judge Juan Merchan said Trump can appear in person or virtually for the sentencing and that he will not order Trump jailed.

“Although this court may, by law, make no sentencing decision before giving the parties and the defendants an opportunity to be heard, it seems appropriate at this time to indicate the court’s inclination not to impose any sentence of imprisonment, a sentence authorized by judgment, but one which the People admit they no longer regard as a practical recommendation,” the judge wrote in his warrant.

Merchan said “a sentence of an unconditional discharge appears to be the most viable solution to ensure finality and allow the defendant to pursue his appeals,” but he would not grant Trump’s request to vacate the sentence.

“Here, 12 jurors unanimously found defendant guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business documents with intent to defraud, which included an intent to commit or conceal a conspiracy to promote a presidential election by illegal means,” he wrote.

Trump was convicted in May of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential election.

“To vacate this sentence on the grounds that the charges are insufficiently serious given the position the defendant once held and is resuming would constitute a disproportionate result and cause immeasurable damage to citizens’ confidence in the rule of law,” the judge said. wrote.

NBC News has reached out to a spokesman for the president-elect for comment.