'Unusual' judge ruling 'took the arrows out of the quiver for Trump's team': legal expert

A ruling by New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan on Friday that he will hold a sentencing hearing for Donald Trump next week, while indicating there will be no jail time, is a blow to the president-elect's attorneys who wanted to see their client's hush money convictions tossed out entirely.

During an appearance on CNN on Saturday morning, former U.S. Attorney Michael Moore explained that what the judge is doing is "unusual" but makes sense should Trump's attorneys want to contest the ruling.

Sitting down with with hosts Amara Walker and Danny Freedman, Moore was asked, "What happens on this January 10th sentencing then? I mean, is it just a formality?"

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"I mean, it pretty much is a formality," Moore conceded. "It's a little funny because the judge went ahead and said, look, he took the arrows out of the quiver for Trump's team, saying, you don't have to be here, we're not going to take a lot of time, I'm' not going to put you in jail, nothing's going to happen to you."

"Basically, you can just get on a Zoom link. I'm going to say thank you. you've been convicted by a jury. The court imposes sentence, gives you an unconditional discharge –– meaning there's nothing that happens to you, no jail, no probation, no nothing –– but we just closed the book on this case and I think that's pretty much all that happens on that day," he elaborated.

"I mean, is this is this justice? I mean, what are we looking at here?" Freedman asked.

"Well, I mean, it's unusual," Moore replied. "Judges really don't do that. And even this judge was careful in his order to say, you know, 'I'm not trying to prejudge,' but essentially to take away the argument that somehow the former, the president-elect may be in jeopardy of going to jail."

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