Judge to read verdict January 10
New York, US, Jan 3 (EFE). –
Judge Juan Merchan in charge of the case for for hush-money case against US President-elect Donald Trump, confirmed Friday that he will read the verdict on Jan. 10, just ten days before Trump’s second inauguration.
Merchan ordered the defendant to appear “in person or virtually” at 9:30 am local time to hear the verdict but has already indicated that it will not include jail time.
Merchan wrote he would sentence the former and future president to what’s known as an unconditional discharge, in which a case is closed without jail time, a fine, or probation.
The Judge expalained the jyry had found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records with the intent to defraud, which included an intent to commit or conceal a conspiracy to promote a presidential election by unlawful means.
He considered that “To vacate this verdict on the grounds that the charges are insufficiently serious given the position Defendant once held, and is about to assume again, would constitute a disproportionate result and cause immeasurable damage to the citizenry’s confidence in the Rule of Law.”
So far, Trump has not commented on the decision of the judge, whom he has criticized in the past for his alleged bias in favor of the Democratic Party. EFE
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