At an unprecedented moment in American history, newly elected President Donald Trump faces a conviction in the Stormy Daniels hush money case in New York on Friday.
The verdict will be handed down in an austere Manhattan courtroom by Judge Juan M. Merchan, a judge from New York state who oversaw Trump’s trial last year.
At the end of the trial in May, Trump was found guilty of 34 crimes for falsifying company records.
Due to the seriousness of the charges, the judge could impose a prison sentence.
However, under New York state law, they were E-level misdemeanor charges, meaning jail time is not mandatory.
A fine or probation were also punishments that could have been imposed.
But Judge Merchan has since indicated he plans a no-punishment sentence, called “unconditional discharge.”
An “unconditional discharge” means no jail time, no probation and no fines for Trump, but it will go on his permanent criminal record.
Other suspects who received the same punishment include some convicted of speeding or not having proper license plates.
The verdict means Trump will be a convicted felon.
Ten days after his conviction, he becomes the first person convicted of a crime to assume the U.S. presidency.
Donald Trump will receive an “unconditional discharge,” meaning no jail time, fines or probation
Judge Juan Merchan decided not to send Trump to prison
Prosecutors did not push back against the judge about his stated intentions.
An unconditional pardon is a rarity for convictions for crimes like Trump’s.
The judge has said he is imposing the sentence in part to avoid complicated constitutional issues that would arise if he imposed a sentence that overlaps with Trump’s upcoming presidency.
Nothing is final until Friday’s proceedings are completed, but it doesn’t seem likely the judge will change his mind.
Under New York state law, an “unconditional discharge” is defined as a punishment “without jail time, fine, or probation supervision.”
This is an option when a judge believes “that no purpose is served by imposing any condition on the suspect’s release.”
Donald Trump reacts as the verdict is read in his criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to hide money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan State Court in New York City, US, May 30, 2024
onald Trump attends his criminal trial on charges that he falsified company records to hide money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels
Other cases in New York where “unconditional expungements” have previously been used include marijuana crimes and defendants’ failure to pay taxes.
It has also been used in cases where suspects have been convicted of trespassing, or have refused to take a sobriety test when caught driving under the influence.
One lawyer was given an unconditional discharge after being convicted of submitting false payment slips, and another lawyer was sentenced on charges of official misconduct.