Trump avoids prison time, fines for New York felony conviction
Attorney Todd Blanche and Donald Trump at the Manhattan criminal court on Jan. 10. Photo: Jabin Botsford/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
President-elect Trump received a no-penalty sentence in his New York hush money case Friday after the Supreme Court refused to intervene.
Why it matters: Trump is the first former (and returning) president convicted of a felony. The expected sentence of unconditional discharge — also recommended by prosecutors — means the conviction remains on his legal record.
- The sentencing, which Trump fought to delay or block altogether, comes just 10 days before his inauguration and White House return.
- The nation's high court on Thursday dashed a last-ditch bid by Trump's legal team to stop the proceeding.
- Judge Juan Merchan had already indicated that Trump wouldn't face jail time, after winning the 2024 election.
Driving the news: Trump, appearing remotely from Florida, said during the hearing that "this has been a very terrible experience," CNN reported.
- He described the case as a "political witch hunt" and a "setback" for New York and the state court system.
- "The fact is I'm totally innocent. I did nothing wrong," Trump said.
Merchan remarked by noting that "this has been a truly extraordinary case."
In his statement to the court, Merchan discussed the limits of the protections of the presidency.- He said "they do not reduce the seriousness of the crime or justify its commission in any way. One power they do not provide is the power to erase a jury verdict."
What they're saying: Trump celebrated the unconditional discharge sentence in a Truth Social post shortly after the hearing Friday, saying it proved "this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED."
- While the sentencing hearing had been a "despicable charade," his legal team would now press forward with an appeal, he added. . .
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