Trump guilty in hush money case to porn star, US court denies jail sentence
Washington: In the case where former U.S. President Donald Trump was found guilty of giving hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, a U.S. court has ruled against a jail sentence.
The Manhattan court, which declared Trump guilty, had postponed sentencing until Friday. Today, the judge issued a ruling, formally sentencing Trump but opting for an unconditional release without imposing any jail time, according to an Associated Press report.
This decision clears Trump of any criminal punishment and allows him to continue entering the White House without jail time or fines.
Manhattan Judge John M. Merchant, in his ruling, provided an unconditional release sentence to prevent Trump from becoming the first U.S. president to serve time behind bars.
JUST IN: US President-elect Donald Trump will not go to jail or pay a fine over his criminal conviction stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, a judge ruled, but the sentencing will place a judgment of guilt on his record https://t.co/vDveuz8GKR pic.twitter.com/nW7Mfl9gL6
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 10, 2025
Although the judge had the authority to sentence the 78-year-old Trump to up to four years in prison, the ruling avoided constitutional complexities.
The court confirmed that Trump was guilty of all 34 counts for attempting to conceal the payment made to Stormy Daniels, stating that he manipulated his business records to keep the matter quiet. Each of the charges could have resulted in up to four years in prison, but Trump has managed to avoid jail time.
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