It was a surprising move. The judge presiding over the Stormy Daniels hush money criminal trial ordered President-elect Donald Trump to be sentenced Friday.
That’s just 10 days before he is set to assume the presidency once again.
The timetable is lightning quick, and the last-minute decision signals Trump will get an “unconditional discharge” and no jail time or probation.
The move raised a lot of eyebrows, questions and the president-elect’s ire.
In Judge Juan Merchan’s 18-page opinion and order, he rejected a number of Trump’s arguments against his sentencing, including that a president-elect is entitled to the same immunity as a president.
He also rejected a motion to dismiss Trump’s case in the interest of justice and what he called Trump’s “disdain for the Third Branch of Government, whether state or Federal.”
Jeremy Rosenthal, a nationally known legal expert recognized as a fierce prosecuting and defense attorney and legal analyst, said Merchan is laying down a marker and saying he will not be intimidated by the incoming president.