Donald Trump will serve no jail time or pay any penalties for his conviction in the hush money case, after a New York judge on Friday sentenced the U.S. president-elect to an unconditional discharge, marking the lightest possible outcome for the historic case.
Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the trial, described the circumstances as unprecedented. “Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” Merchan said.
“The only lawful sentence that permits entry of a judgement of conviction without encroaching on the highest office of the land is an unconditional discharge.”
Trump, convicted in May 2024 on 34 counts of falsifying business records, avoided the potential four-year prison sentence attached to the charges.
Trump attended the sentencing virtually as the judge, lawyers, and media filled the Manhattan courtroom, the scene of a dramatic trial that included legal wrangling and Trump’s fiery public commentary.
“This has been a terrible experience. I think it’s been a tremendous setback for New York and the New York court system,” Trump said before the discharge was issued. “It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election.”
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass criticised Trump’s actions during the trial as “premeditated and continuous deception” and stressed the importance of upholding the jury’s unanimous decision. “The verdict in this case was unanimous and decisive, and it must be respected,” Steinglass stated.
The trial revealed that Trump had concealed $130,000 in payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to prevent her from disclosing an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Witnesses testified that the payments were part of an effort to influence the election’s outcome, which Trump ultimately won.
Trump’s legal team attempted to delay the sentencing, citing pending appeals, but the New York State appeals court and the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed those efforts.
Prosecutors argued that delaying the hearing just 10 days before Trump’s second inauguration would undermine the judicial process.
The unconditional discharge preserves Trump’s felony conviction while imposing no further penalties, solidifying his place in history as the first U.S. president-elect convicted of a felony.
“He’s thumbing his nose at the judge, the jury, and the justice system,” said Bennett Gershman, a former prosecutor and law professor at Pace University, ahead of the sentencing.
Outside the courthouse, the case drew strong reactions from supporters and critics alike. Trump loyalists held banners emblazoned with his name, while protesters displayed signs reading, “Trump is guilty.”
Despite the legal controversies, Trump was certified as the winner of the 2024 presidential election earlier this week, securing a political comeback just four years after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn his 2020 defeat.
AFP
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