Published 22:09 IST, January 10th 2025
What Is Unconditional Discharge That Trump Has Been Sentenced To In Hush Money Case
Trump has been sentenced to unconditional discharge in the hush money case by the New York court, however, the judge has not announced jail term or punishment.
New York: US President-elect Donald Trump has been sentenced to an unconditional discharge by US Supreme Court in the Hush Money case. Though Trump has been sentenced, the Supreme Court judge declined to impose any punishment. The outcome cements Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.
Trump’s sentence of an unconditional discharge caps a norm-smashing case that saw the former and future president charged with 34 felonies, put on trial for almost two months and convicted on every count. Yet, the legal detour — and sordid details aired in court of a plot to bury affair allegations — didn’t hurt him with voters, who elected him to a second term.
Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan could have sentenced the 78-year-old Republican to up to four years in prison. Instead, he chose a sentence that sidestepped thorny constitutional issues by effectively ending the case but assured that Trump will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency.
Trump said his criminal trial and conviction has “been a very terrible experience” and insisted he committed no crime as he appeared virtually Friday to be sentenced.
As he appeared from his Florida home, the former president was seated with his lawyer Todd Blanche, whom he's tapped to serve as the second-highest ranking Justice Department official in his incoming administration.
The hush money case accused Trump of fudging his business' records to veil a $130,000 payoff to porn actor Stormy Daniels. She was paid, late in Trump’s 2016 campaign, not to tell the public about a sexual encounter she maintains the two had a decade earlier. He says nothing sexual happened between them, and he contends that his political adversaries spun up a bogus prosecution to try to damage him.
What Is Unconditional Discharge?
The ‘Unconditional Discharge’ under the New York State law is a sentence without any imprisonment, fine or probation supervision.
According to the US laws, such a sentence is appropriate if the judge is of the opinion that no proper purpose would be served by imposing any condition upon the defendant’s release.
On January 10, 2025, Justice Juan Merchan, who presided over the trial in a New York state court, sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge for all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. In his statement to the court, Trump maintained the point he had made throughout the prosecution, that the whole case was a political witch hunt.
“The fact is, I'm totally innocent,” said Trump via a video appearance in the court.
During the sentencing, Merchan said he was keenly aware of the unique set of circumstances before him and the country. He characterized the trial as ordinary while acknowledging the context of the case was extraordinary.
“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable skillset of circumstances,” said Merchan.
The sentencing brings this phase of the case to an end. Once the sentence is officially entered in a final judgment, Trump can appeal the case, as he has a legal right to do so. Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, made clear during the sentencing that Trump intends to appeal.
With inputs from AP
Updated 23:02 IST, January 10th 2025