Donald Trump, who will assume the presidency of the United States for the second time next week, has been sentenced today to no punishment for the proven charges of paying hush money to conceal an affair with an adult film actress. With this ruling, Trump becomes the first leader to serve as US President with a criminal conviction.
Although Trump was found guilty in May 2024 of 34 counts of falsifying business records, which could have resulted in a prison sentence, the judge decided not to impose either a jail term or a fine on Trump. This is a rare decision by US courts. “Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and notable set of circumstances,” said Judge Juan Merchan. “In a situation where guilt has been established, the legal punishment that can be given without obstructing the highest office in the nation is unconditional release.”
As per the court’s previous instructions, Trump participated virtually in the sentencing hearing. The courtroom was packed with lawyers and media personnel. Before the sentencing, Trump said this was a very bad experience and that it was a loss for New York and its court system as well. “This is an attempt to assassinate my character. This is an attempt to prevent me from winning the election,” he said.
Before pronouncing the sentence, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said that Trump had been found guilty of “planned and repeated acts of deception.” The prosecutors said that the guilty verdict was unanimous and should be respected. However, the prosecutors also stated that since Trump has now been elected president and is preparing to take the oath of office on the 20th of this month, this should not be obstructed, and the responsibilities of the highest office in the country must be respected. Even though Trump was determined to be a criminal, not imposing any punishment was also proposed by the prosecution.
