US President-elect Donald Trump is due to be sentenced on Friday morning in a New York courtroom for falsifying business records
Last May he was convicted on 34 counts relating to hush money paid to adult-film star Stormy Daniels
Daniels was paid $130,000 (£105,000) to keep quiet about her claim that she had sex with Trump
Trump has denied they had sex, and has denied any wrongdoing
The judge in the case, Justice Juan Merchan, has indicated he will not send Trump to prison, and there will be no probation or fine
Trump is not expected to be at the sentencing in person and likely will attend via video
Trump is the first president-elect, or president, to be convicted of a felony
Edited by Brandon Livesay in New York
A file photo of Trump appearing in court during the trial in May 2024
Though Donald Trump theoretically could have faced prison time for his felony conviction, Justice Juan Merchan has already indicated he will not sentence the president-elect to time behind bars.
In a legal filing setting the 10 January sentencing date, Merchan said he would likely give Trump an "unconditional discharge" – meaning no jail time, monetary fine, or probation – calling it "the most viable solution” in such an unprecedented situation.
Neither a former president nor a president-elect has ever been convicted of a felony.
As we've been reporting, last night the Supreme Court rejected President-elect Donald Trump's petition to delay the sentencing of this case.
Trump responded to the decision on his social media platform Truth Social. He maintains he is innocent and claims the charges are "fake".
Trump claims the New York case was "nothing other than Weaponization of our Justice System against a Political Opponent".
Regarding the Supreme Court, he says: "I appreciate the time and effort of the United States Supreme Court in trying to remedy the great injustice done to me".
Two of the Supreme Court's conservative justices – John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett – joined the three liberal justices to deny Trump's request for a delay.
The remaining four judges – Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh – would have allowed Trump's bid to postpone sentencing.
Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court
The sentencing hearing will likely be much less dramatic than Donald Trump’s days in court during the trial, which was filled with star witnesses and enemies from his past.
During the proceedings, both sides get the opportunity to speak. That includes president-elect Trump, former Brooklyn prosecutor Julie Rendelman says.
Then, she says, the judge will speak and render his sentencing decision.
She expects Justice Juan Merchan to use the time to share his thoughts on Trump’s conviction and behaviour during the trial.
For context, Trump was slapped with a gag-order during the trial, and was fined for breaching it.
“I think he (Merchan) is going to speak, but he's always pretty even-tempered. So, I think he's going to just talk about what came before him,” Rendelman says.
Kayla Epstein
Reporting from court
Good morning, for the last time (for this case), from the Manhattan criminal court.
Today the Trump hush money trial reaches its conclusion as Justice Juan Merchan is set to issue a sentence. He has said he would not sentence Trump to any jail time.
Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts last May, but his lawyers won a series of delays. The attorneys tried to get the US Supreme Court to intervene and stay the sentencing, but they rejected Trump’s petition last night.
Things are calm outside – far fewer reporters are lined up outside the courthouse than there were at the peak of the trial.
Perhaps it’s because we currently anticipate Trump will appear virtually, as prosecutors have said in court filings.
Brandon Livesay
Reporting from New York
Hello and welcome from a frosty New York City morning, where Donald Trump is set to be sentenced for falsifying business records.
It's been a fierce legal battle to even get to today, with the president-elect's lawyers fighting to get the case thrown out.
But Justice Juan Merchan will hand down his sentence as scheduled, ending the months of appeals and motions.
Trump was convicted last May on 34 counts of falsifying business records. They relate to a payment made to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Daniels claims she had sex with Trump. He has denied they did.
We're not expecting Trump to show up in person today. And the sentencing will not involve jail time or a fine.
So what's today all about then? Stick with us, my colleagues Kayla Epstein and Madeline Halpert will be in court, as they were every day of the trial. And they'll unpack all you need to know right here in our live coverage.
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