Donald Trump convicted without sentence in criminal trial in New York, while judge wishes him ‘God’s luck’ in second term
President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced to parole Friday after being found guilty on charges of falsifying business records stemming from a years-long investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
The president-elect attended the sentencing virtually, after fighting to block the process all the way to the United States Supreme Court this week. Trump sat next to his defense attorney Todd Blanche.
TRUMP FILED REQUEST TO STAY ‘ILLEGAL CONVICTION’ IN NEW YORK CASE
Trump called the case and his verdict “a huge setback for the American judicial system.”
“This is a great shame for the state of New York,” Trump said, adding that the people had seen the trial firsthand and “resoundingly” voted to elect him president.
Judge Juan Merchan set Jan. 10—just ten days before he will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.
From left to right: Judge Juan Merchan, former President Donald Trump and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. (Getty Images, AP Images)
Merchan did not sentence the president-elect to prison, but instead sentenced him to an unconditional release, meaning no sentence imposed – no prison, fine or probation. The sentence also preserves Trump’s ability to appeal the conviction.
“After careful analysis, this court has determined that the only lawful sentence that permits a conviction is an unconditional discharge,” Merchan said Friday. “At this point I am imposing that sentence covering all 34 counts.”
Merchan added: “Sir, I wish you a safe journey as you take on your second term.”
Merchan, at the sentencing hearing last week, said he was unlikely to “impose a prison sentence” but rather an “unconditional discharge,” meaning no sentence would be imposed.
Trump filed an appeal with the New York State Court of Appeals to block the sentencing. That court rejected his request.
Trump also filed an emergency motion with the US Supreme Court, claiming that he is “immediately ordering a stay of the criminal proceedings pending in the Supreme Court of New York County, New York.”
The high court denied the request, saying that “the motion for adjournment filed with Justice Sotomayor and referred to the court by her is denied, inter alia, for the following reasons.”
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“First, alleged evidentiary violations in President-elect Trump’s state court trial may be resolved through the usual appellate process,” the Supreme Court’s order, filed Thursday night, said. “Second, the burden the judgment imposes on the president-elect is relatively insignificant in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose a sentence of ‘unconditional dismissal’ after a brief virtual hearing.”
The order also stated that “Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh will grant the request.”
The Supreme Court of the United States poses for its official portrait in the East Conference Room of the Supreme Court Building on October 7, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Trump needed five votes to approve his request. A note on the order suggests that Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted with Justices Sonja Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Katanji Brown Jackson.
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On January 20, Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.
Trump maintains his innocence in the case and has repeatedly denounced it as an example of a “law” being pushed by Democrats in an attempt to hurt his election efforts ahead of November.
