Justice Juan M. Merchan, an even-keeled jurist, has been in the president-elect’s cross-hairs for nearly two years.

On Friday, a New York judge imposed a sentence that ensures Donald Trump will be the first convicted felon to enter the White House when he is sworn in as president on Jan. 20. It was a brief and relatively calm final encounter of Trump's relationship with Justice Juan Merchan over 21 months and featured accusations of political bias from the former and stern dressings-down from the latter.

The charges related to payments Trump’s company made to a lawyer, Michael Cohen, to reimburse him for paying off porn actor Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential campaign.

New York State Judge Juan Merchan sentences U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as he appears remotely alongside his lawyer Todd Blanche for a sentencing hearing in the criminal cas

The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money case sentenced the president-elect to an “unconditional discharge.’’ His conviction stands, but with no more penalties.

President-elect Donald Trump maintained on Jan. 10 his contention that the election-year case which resulted in 34 felony charges was politically motivated and without merit.

The high court’s action clears the way for the president-elect to be sentenced for his criminal conviction in Manhattan on Friday.