Trump is sentenced in New York criminal case
President-elect Donald Trump started his day by joining his own criminal sentencing via videoconference on Friday.
While attending virtually from Florida with his attorney, Todd Blanche, both legal parties received Judge Juan Merchan’s probation report to review before sentencing. Upon both the defense and prosecution looking over the report, Merchan moved forward with sentencing, according to CNN.
“The jury’s verdict in this case was unanimous and decisive and it must be respected,” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said. He also accused Trump of attacking the rule of law during the criminal case.
“Your honor indicated an inclination to impose an unconditional discharge under all the circumstances of this case, this unique posture and the defendant’s status as president-elect, the people recommend a sentence of unconditional discharge,” he said, agreeing with the sentencing Merchan said he would deliver to the president-elect earlier this week.
In this case, an unconditional charge means Trump will not have to serve prison time or any other penalty as he heads into his second term as president.
Blanche responded to the prosecution, saying, “I very, very much disagree with much of what the government just said about this case, about the legitimacy of what happened in this courtroom during this trial, and about President Trump’s conduct fighting this case,” per The Associated Press.
In his first statements Friday morning, Trump said the case had been a “very terrible experience” for him and that it was a “political witch hunt” that “was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and obviously, that didn’t work.”
Following Trump’s remark, Merchan then began his sentencing.
“The imposition of sentence is one of the most difficult and significant decisions that any criminal court judge is called upon to make,” he said. “Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances.”
He told Trump that the office of president is “extraordinary,” not the person fulfilling the role.
“However the considerable, indeed extraordinary legal protections afforded the office of the chief executive is a factor that overrides all others,” Merchan added. “They do not reduce the seriousness of the crime or justify its commission in any way,”
“One power they do not provide is the power to erase a jury verdict.”
“Ordinary citizens do not receive those legal protections. It is the office of the president that bestows those to the office holder. It is the citizenry of this nation that recently decided that you should once again receive the benefits of those protections,” he concluded.
Trump’s attempts to get the case thrown out
With an original sentencing date of July 11, Trump’s defense seemed to use every legal strategy to prevent the former and future president from being labeled a felon. However, the Supreme Court denied his last chance at delaying — or tossing — the sentencing on Thursday, making Trump essentially the first U.S. president in history to enter the White House with a rap sheet.
The criminal case brought against Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg began trial proceedings last April. After juggling courtroom visits in multiple legal cases with campaign rallies, Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts against him by a New York jury on May 30, 2024.
The case accused Trump of falsely labeling a $130,000 payment he had his then-lawyer Michael Cohen give to adult film actress Stormy Daniels as a business expense leading up to his 2026 presidential election. According to the lawsuit against him, Daniels claimed to have had a sexual encounter with Trump back in 2004. To keep her silent during his presidential campaign, he apparently used “hush money,” per the suit.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and repeatedly claimed to have never had any relations with Daniels throughout the trial, accusing the case of being politically motivated.
