Donald Trump, the U.S. president-elect, was sentenced to an unconditional discharge just days before his January 20 inauguration following his criminal conviction related to hush money payments to a porn star in the 2016 election. This judgment acknowledges Trump's guilt without imposing additional legal penalties like jail time, fines, or probation.
The judge cited constitutional protections for sitting presidents as the basis for the leniency but emphasized that these protections do not diminish the seriousness of the crime or justify its commission.
"Despite the extraordinary breadth of those protections, they do not erase jury verdicts," Merchan stated.
The conviction and sentencing makes Trump the first president to assume office with a criminal conviction.
Donald Trump plans to appeal.
The six-week trial, which concluded with Trump’s conviction on May 30, 2024, centered on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Prosecutors argued the payment aimed to influence the election’s outcome.
During the trial, he openly criticized prosecutors, witnesses, and the judiciary, prompting Merchan to fine him $10,000 for violating a gag order.
While the conviction carried the possibility of prison time, legal experts deemed incarceration unlikely due to Trump’s age and clean criminal history. The political and logistical challenges of imprisoning a president-elect further diminished the likelihood of such a sentence.
