Donald Trump will officially enter his second term as president as a convicted felon after he was formally sentenced on Friday in New York in his hush money trial. Trump will face no jail time, no probation and no monetary fine after he was given an “unconditional discharge,” which means his conviction holds but will not come attached with any penalties.
In a May trial presided over by Judge Juan Merchan, Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The president-elect attended his sentencing virtually on Friday, maintaining that he was “totally innocent” and calling the prosecution a “setback” for New York’s legal system. He further noted that the trial had been a “very terrible experience.”
Judge Merchan on Friday pointed out that “Donald Trump, the ordinary citizen” and “Donald Trump, the criminal defendant” was not entitled to legal concessions.
“However, the considerable, indeed extraordinary legal protections afforded the office of the chief executive is a factor that overrides all others,” Merchan explained. “They do not reduce the seriousness of the crime or justify its commission in any way.”
Friday’s sentencing falls well short of the maximum penalty Trump was facing. Each of the 34 counts on which he was convicted carried up to a four-year prison sentence, as well as a $5,000 fine.
Trump sought a stay of sentencing earlier this week, even asking the Supreme Court to intervene ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 20. Those efforts were rebuffed. Trump’s lawyers argued that even though he’s president-elect, an impending appeal will proceed once Trump takes office, at which time he should be granted presidential immunity in accordance with the controversial Supreme Court ruling last year.
Given the fact that Trump is set to become the 47th President of the U.S., Judge Juan Merchan had stated heading into Friday that he would likely grant Trump an unconditional discharge, meaning the charges would be upheld but he would not have to pay a fine nor would he have to serve probation or jail time. During last week’s ruling, Merchan called the outcome the “most viable solution to ensure finality and allow Defendant to pursue his appellate options.”
