NEW YORK, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Juan Merchan, a New York judge presiding over U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's hush money case, on Friday set Jan. 10 as the date of sentencing for the case.

The sentencing would take place at 9:30 in the morning at a courthouse in Lower Manhattan, according to a decision by the judge.

Merchan ordered Trump to appear at his sentencing in person or virtually with preference made no later than Jan. 5.

There is no legal impediment to the sentencing and bringing finality to this matter would serve the interests of the jury, defendant and plaintiff, according to the decision.

It's less desirable to hold sentencing until Trump completes his second term of presidency than imposing sentence prior to Jan. 20, when Trump is scheduled to take office as U.S. president, said the judge.

Earlier, Merchan agreed to indefinitely postpone the sentencing, which was scheduled on Nov. 26, 2024.

In May 2024, a jury in New York found Trump guilty of all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a bid to hide hush money payments to a porn star in 2016 and the initial date of sentencing was July 11, 2024. ■