President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced with an unconditional discharge in a New York hush money case Friday after a 12-person jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records.
Here's the latest.
What Happened: After Trump was found guilty in May, sentencing for the case faced several setbacks, including delays until after the 2024 presidential election. Trump and his lawyers unsuccessfully fought to have the and sentencing delayed until after he is sworn in as president Jan. 20.
On Friday, Judge Juan Merchan issued a sentence of an unconditional discharge, as reported by the New York Times.
With the ruling, Trump avoids prison time or probation. Merchan explained the seriousness of the sentencing and a "legal mandate" that is carried with it.
Merchan said "Donald Trump the ordinary citizen, Donald Trump the criminal defendant" would not get the same protections of the presidency. Being president will shield Trump from the seriousness of the verdict, Merchan said.
Merchan stressed the case was no different than others he's presided over, trying to illustrate the point that no person is above the law, including a former or incoming president.
The judge wished Trump "Godspeed" ahead of his inauguration before leaving the bench.
Ahead of sentencing, prosecuting attorney Joshua Steinglass recalled details from the case and the conviction and told the judge that Trump has not shown any remorse for his action, instead spreading disdain "for our institutions and the rule of law."
"This defendant has caused enduring damage to the public perception of the criminal justice system," Steinglass said.
Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche repeated allegations that the case was only brought forward after Trump announced his plans for re-election, labeling the trial as election interference once again.
Trump, who opted not to testify in his trial, was able to address the court Friday and appeared remotely from Mar-A-Lago instead of in person, which was approved by the judge.
"This has been a very terrible experience," Trump said.
The president-elect said the case has "been a tremendous setback" for the state of New York and its court system.
Both Trump and Blanche cited the 2024 election result as showing that Americans gave the last word in the case after seeing the trial play out, with Trump highlighting his winning of all seven key swing states in the election.
"I was treated very, very unfairly, and I thank you very much," Trump said in conclusion.
Check This Out:
- Lawmakers Made Huge Investments This Year. Get Tips On What They Bought And Sold Ahead Of The 2024 Election With Our Easy-to-Use Tool
Why It's Important: Friday marked the first time a former or incoming U.S. president has been sentenced in a criminal case.
Merchan previously rejected Trump's claims that the verdict should be dismissed after his election win or due to violating presidential immunity.
The Supreme Court rejected a sentencing delay earlier this week in a 5-4 decision.
Trump took to Truth Social, his social media company owned by Trump Media & Technology Group DJT, to share his thoughts.
"I appreciate the time and effort of the United States Supreme Court in trying to remedy the great injustice done to me by the highly conflicted ‘Acting Justice,' who should not have been allowed to try to this case," Trump said.
Trump said Thursday he would be appealing the case.
Trump is still able to become president of the United States, a role he will once again hold with his inauguration set for Jan. 20. Trump will be the first convicted felon to be sworn in as president of the United States.
DJT Price Action: Trump Media & Technology stock is down 2% to $33.69 Friday versus a 52-week trading range of $11.75 to $79.38.
Read Next:
Photo via Shutterstock.
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
