Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump's trial, signalled in a written decision that he'd sentence Trump to what's known as a conditional discharge, in which a case gets dismissed if a defendant avoids rearrest.
The judge said he found "no legal impediment to sentencing" Trump and that it was "incumbent" on him to sentence Trump prior to his swearing in on 20 January.
Merchan rejected Trump's push to dismiss the verdict and throw out the case on presidential immunity grounds and because of his impending return to the White House.
Only by bringing finality to this matter will the interests of justice be served, Merchan wrote, as Trump was convicted in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
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