The chairman of the Alabama Republican Party on Friday blasted the decision by a New York judge to sentence President-elect Donald Trump for his conviction in a hush money case.

Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial, set the sentencing for Jan. 10, just 10 days before Trump will take the oath of office for his second term as president.

Merchan indicated he would sentence Trump to an unconditional discharge, which would close the case without jail time, a fine, or probation, the Associated Press reported.

“The continued targeting of President Trump by this liberal New York judge is disrespectful to the American people and just plain ridiculous,” Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl said.

“Voters across our nation sent a clear message on November 5th, and it is time to move forward.

“There is no place in America for weaponizing the justice system or using the power of government to undermine political opponents. Now is the time for us to come together as a nation and allow Donald Trump to focus on working for the American people without the distraction of these petty and divisive attacks.”

Merchan, in an 18-page decision, wrote that he tried to balance competing interests, including Trump’s ability to govern “unencumbered” by the case, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in July on presidential immunity, the public’s expectation “that all are equal and no one is above the Iaw,” and the importance of protecting the “sanctity of a jury verdict.”

“This court is simply not persuaded that the first factor outweighs the others at this stage of the proceeding,” Merchan wrote.

He rejected Trump’s push to dismiss the verdict and throw out the case on presidential immunity grounds and because of his impending return to the White House. The judge said that he found “no legal impediment to sentencing” Trump.

“Only by bringing finality to this matter” will the interests of justice be served, Merchan wrote.

In May, a New York jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to porn actor Stormy Daniels.

The payout was made to keep Daniels from publicizing claims she’d had sex with the married Trump years earlier. Trump says that her story is false and that he did nothing wrong.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.