Washington, 4 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Sentencing in US President-elect Donald Trump's hush money conviction has been set for January 10, according to court documents released in New York on Friday.

Juan Merchan, the New York judge overseeing the trial, had previously postponed sentencing indefinitely.

Trump was found guilty in May of last year of illegally concealing $130,000 in hush money payments to a porn actress in order to improve his chances of success in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump's defence team has sought to have his conviction overturned.

The prosecution rejected that, but had shown itself open to postponing the sentencing until after Trump's second term in office as US president ends in 2029.

Trump is due to be sworn in as US president in Washington on January 20.

Trump may appear in person or virtually

Trump may appear at the court date in person or virtually, according to a court document; which states: "this Court will permit Defendant to exercise his right to appear virtually for this proceeding, if he so chooses."

The judge, in his decision to reject Trump's effort to have the indictment dismissed and the jury's verdict vacated, also wrote that he is not inclined to impose a prison sentence – which was not considered very likely.

The US President-elect had failed in an earlier attempt to overturn the verdict handed down against him in New York for concealing hush money payments.

Judge Merchan, who has been in charge of the case, upheld the guilty verdict.

Sentencing was postponed

The sentence should have been pronounced as early as mid-September.

However, Judge Merchan granted an application by Trump to delay the sentencing until after the US presidential election in early November.

This is the first time in US history that a president-elect faces a sentencing.