Trump avoids penalty following hush money conviction
It's an uninspiring conclusion to the legal saga that will lead him to become the nation's first felon-turned-president.
TroibNews 
**NEW YORK** — Donald Trump was not penalized following his criminal conviction in the Manhattan hush money case, leading to an unremarkable conclusion of the legal battles that will make him the nation’s first felon-turned-president.
During a sentencing hearing on Friday, a New York judge opted not to impose prison time or fines after a jury convicted him on 34 felony counts of business fraud related to a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election.
Although Friday's sentencing lacked significant punitive measures, it concludes a notable chapter in Trump's interactions with the legal system. Having faced four simultaneous criminal indictments, he achieved a solitary conviction last May, which did not hinder his reelection aspirations and is likely to be perceived as little more than a mark against him.
While Trump's felony conviction gave Justice Juan Merchan the authority to sentence him to up to four years in prison or impose other penalties, the judge indicated prior to the sentencing that he would not pursue incarceration, stating that it was not “practicable” considering Trump’s expected return to the White House.
The judge instead imposed a sentence of “unconditional discharge,” which entailed no punishment. Trump appeared through a video feed displayed on large monitors in the Manhattan courtroom as the judge delivered his ruling. Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office attended the hearing in person.
A sentence of “unconditional discharge,” while not unheard of in low-level cases, is considered unusual for felony convictions, according to legal experts.
Despite the expectation of leniency, Trump and his legal team vigorously sought to prevent the sentencing from taking place.
In the lead-up to the hearing, Trump sought intervention from an intermediate New York appeals court, New York’s highest court, and the Supreme Court, asserting that as president-elect, he deserves the same immunity from prosecution as a sitting president. All requests were denied.
This sentencing comes more than seven months after Trump went through the first-ever criminal trial of a former president, a dramatic event that overtook a Manhattan courthouse and revealed the intricacies of tabloid culture, his alleged multiple affairs, and his desperate attempts to keep such allegations from influencing voters before the 2016 election. Trump has denied those affair allegations.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
During a sentencing hearing on Friday, a New York judge opted not to impose prison time or fines after a jury convicted him on 34 felony counts of business fraud related to a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election.
Although Friday's sentencing lacked significant punitive measures, it concludes a notable chapter in Trump's interactions with the legal system. Having faced four simultaneous criminal indictments, he achieved a solitary conviction last May, which did not hinder his reelection aspirations and is likely to be perceived as little more than a mark against him.
While Trump's felony conviction gave Justice Juan Merchan the authority to sentence him to up to four years in prison or impose other penalties, the judge indicated prior to the sentencing that he would not pursue incarceration, stating that it was not “practicable” considering Trump’s expected return to the White House.
The judge instead imposed a sentence of “unconditional discharge,” which entailed no punishment. Trump appeared through a video feed displayed on large monitors in the Manhattan courtroom as the judge delivered his ruling. Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office attended the hearing in person.
A sentence of “unconditional discharge,” while not unheard of in low-level cases, is considered unusual for felony convictions, according to legal experts.
Despite the expectation of leniency, Trump and his legal team vigorously sought to prevent the sentencing from taking place.
In the lead-up to the hearing, Trump sought intervention from an intermediate New York appeals court, New York’s highest court, and the Supreme Court, asserting that as president-elect, he deserves the same immunity from prosecution as a sitting president. All requests were denied.
This sentencing comes more than seven months after Trump went through the first-ever criminal trial of a former president, a dramatic event that overtook a Manhattan courthouse and revealed the intricacies of tabloid culture, his alleged multiple affairs, and his desperate attempts to keep such allegations from influencing voters before the 2016 election. Trump has denied those affair allegations.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
