Everyone's been asking the same thing: what time is Trump's sentencing, and is it actually happening today? If you’ve been refreshing your news feed looking for a live stream of a 2026 court date, I’ve got to level with you—you’re looking for a ghost.
Honestly, the "sentencing" everyone is searching for already happened a year ago. It’s one of those weird quirks of the news cycle where a story is so massive it just stays stuck in the "upcoming" part of our brains. Donald Trump was sentenced by Judge Juan Merchan on January 10, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. ET.
The 9:30 AM Hearing That Changed Everything
When that Friday morning rolled around in January 2025, the world was bracing for something explosive. People were literally debating whether the Secret Service would have to set up a perimeter inside a prison.
But the actual event? Kinda quiet, actually.
The sentencing took place just ten days before the inauguration. Judge Merchan had a massive legal headache on his hands. He was trying to balance the fact that a jury of 12 New Yorkers found Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records with the reality that the guy was about to become the leader of the free world again.
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Why there isn't a sentencing today
You might be seeing "2026" pop up in searches because of the ongoing appeals process. In the legal world, a case isn't really "done" just because the judge bangs the gavel on a sentence. Trump’s team, led by lawyers like Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, immediately went to work on the appeal.
Basically, the 2026 "action" isn't about a new sentencing time. It's about the appellate courts deciding if the whole conviction should be tossed out.
What Was The Actual Sentence?
Most people expected a fine or maybe even probation. Some die-hard critics were hoping for jail time, which is technically possible for Class E felonies in New York.
Judge Merchan went a different route. He handed down an unconditional discharge.
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That’s legal-speak for "you're convicted, but we aren't going to punish you with jail, fines, or probation." It’s a way for the court to say the conviction stands on the record without creating a constitutional crisis where a sitting president is checking in with a parole officer or sitting in a cell.
The Role of Judge Juan Merchan
Merchan became a household name during the trial. He’s an acting justice of the New York State Supreme Court, and he had to handle a defendant who wasn't exactly shy about criticizing the proceedings.
During the lead-up to that 9:30 a.m. sentencing, the Supreme Court actually got involved. Trump’s team tried to get the whole thing blocked, arguing that a President-elect should have the same immunity as a sitting President. The High Court disagreed, or at least they didn't think it was worth stopping the New York proceeding at the last minute.
Key details from the courtroom:
- The Venue: Manhattan Criminal Court.
- The Charge: 34 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree.
- The Method: Trump was allowed to appear virtually for the sentencing to avoid a massive security nightmare in lower Manhattan during the transition.
- The Prosecution: Alvin Bragg’s office didn’t push for jail time in the end, acknowledging the "unprecedented" nature of sentencing a guy with the nuclear codes.
What Happens Now?
Since the sentencing happened in early 2025, the case has moved into the "boring" phase of legal briefs and appellate arguments. If you're looking for what's next, it's all about the New York Court of Appeals.
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There is no "sentencing time" for 2026 because the sentence is already on the books.
Trump remains a convicted felon, but the "unconditional discharge" means he isn't under any court-ordered supervision. His lawyers are currently arguing that the Supreme Court's 2024 ruling on presidential immunity should have prevented certain evidence from ever being shown to the jury—like those tweets and communications from his first term.
Actionable Insights for Following the Case:
- Check the Appellate Docket: If you want real updates, stop looking for "sentencing" and start looking for "oral arguments" in the New York appellate courts.
- Ignore Viral "Live" Streams: Any YouTube video claiming to show a "live" sentencing in 2026 is using old footage from 2024 or 2025.
- Understand "Unconditional Discharge": Realize that even if the appeal fails, Trump won't be going to jail for this specific case because the sentencing phase is already complete.
- Watch the Immunity Rulings: The real "news" in 2026 will be how the courts apply the Trump v. United States immunity standard to the specific business records used in the Manhattan trial.