The judge set Trump’s sentencing in the hush money case for January 10, but said there was no jail time

A judge on Friday set US President-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing in the hush money case for January 10 – a week before he returns to the White House – but vowed not to jail him.

Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial, indicated in his written decision that he would sentence the former and future president to what is known as a conditional discharge.

The development alone marks another turning point.

Jury impeached Trump in May 34 falsified business records in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment from the US to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. Trump denies any wrongdoing.

The allegations involved a scheme to hide money paid to Daniels in the final days of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to prevent her from going public with an allegation she had sex with the then-married businessman years ago. He says there is nothing sexual between them.

After Trump’s Nov. 5 election, Merchan halted the trial and postponed the trial indefinitely so the defense and prosecution could discuss the future of the case.

Trump’s lawyers called on Merchandan to fire him. Otherwise, it would create unconstitutional “violations” of the future president’s ability to rule the country, they said.

Prosecutors acknowledged that there should be some conditions for his upcoming presidency, but they insisted that the sentence should stand.

They proposed various options, such as freezing the case during his tenure or guaranteeing that he would not be arrested. They also proposed closing the case by formally recording both his conviction and the pending appeal — an idea that some state courts do when criminal defendants die when they appeal their cases.

Trump took office on January 20.