US court to announce Donald Trump's verdict in porn star bribery case on January 10 – media

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is due to appear for sentencing in the adult film star Stormy Daniels bribery case on January 10.

It was reported by Bloomberg and Reuters.

New York State Judge Juan Merchan in Manhattan rejected a motion to overturn the guilty verdict, although he made it clear that the President-elect will not be behind bars.

The judge said that 78-year-old Trump can attend the sentencing in person or virtually.

Reuters notes that Judge Merchan's decision means that Trump will have to appear for a court hearing just 10 days before his inauguration on January 20 – an unprecedented case in U.S. history.

Before Trump, no U.S. president – former or current – has been charged with or convicted of a crime.

Merchan said it would be wrong to overturn the jury verdict, but added that sentencing Trump to prison was inappropriate.

"This court has painstakingly considered the respective arguments of the parties and finds that setting aside the jury verdict is not the best or only way to reconcile the competing interests," Merchan said.

Trump, 78, had faced up to four years in prison in the hush money case after a jury in May found him guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to pay an adult film star before the 2016 election.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung criticized the decision, saying the case should never have been filed.

"There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead," Cheung said.

Merchan announced his sentencing plan by rejecting Trump's motion to dismiss the case because of his election victory. Trump's lawyers argued that allowing the case to hang over him during his presidency would harm his ability to govern.

Merchan rejected that argument, saying that overturning the jury verdict would "undermine the Rule of Law in immeasurable ways."

"Defendant's status as President-elect does not require the drastic and 'rare' application of (the court's) authority to grant the (dismissal) motion," Merchan wrote in the ruling.

Merchan also rejected Trump's argument, filed with the court on Dec. 3, that dismissal is justified because his "civic and financial contributions to this city and the Nation are too numerous to count."

While acknowledging Trump's accomplishments as president, the judge said his public statements exposing the justice system were also a determining factor.

"Defendant has gone to great lengths to broadcast on social media and other forums his lack of respect for judges, juries, grand juries and the justice system as a whole," Merchan wrote.

"Defendant's character and history vis-a-vis the Rule of Law and the Third Branch of government must be analyzed," the judge said, referring to the judiciary. "In that vein, it does not weigh in his favor."