Trump avoids jail or fines by granting unconditional release

A judge has sentenced US President-elect Donald Trump to “unconditional release”, ending the first criminal trial of a former US president.

The conviction in the money laundering case means the future president is exempt from any penalties, including jail time or fines, but he will still take office as the first US president with a felony conviction.

“Never before has this court been faced with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” Judge Juan Mercan said shortly before announcing the sentence, calling it a “truly extraordinary case.”

Appearing via video call from Florida, flanked by his lawyer and two prominent American flags, Trump said he was “absolutely innocent.”

It was the first time in this year-and-a-half legal saga that Trump uttered more than “not guilty” or gave a brief affirmative answer.

Given a chance to speak before the sentencing, Trump spoke for several minutes against the case.

“It was a very horrible experience,” he said.

He argued that the judicial system was “weaponized” and argued that the case was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for political reasons.

“I would like to explain that I have been treated very, very unfairly, and I thank you very much,” he said, before falling silent.

When Bragg first watched Trump address him directly, he kept a mostly stoic expression. He smiled, however, when Trump said Bragg never wanted to bring the case.

After Trump had his say, Judge Merchan spent a few minutes reflecting on the “paradox” of the trial.

Judge Merchan noted that despite the media and political circus outside, “once the courtroom doors were closed, it was no more unique than all the other cases that were happening at the same time.”

But he added that after Trump was convicted, things took a different turn when the American people elected him to a second term as president in November.

After careful consideration, he determined that “the only legitimate sentence without encroaching upon the highest office of the land” was an unconditional release—a sentence that would allow the American people to become president unencumbered by pending legal proceedings.

In May 2024, a New York jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying commercial documents. The sentencing was delayed several times due to Supreme Court decisions and the presidential election in November.

The charges relate to a conspiracy to conceal the payment of hidden money to an adult movie star in the final days of the 2016 election. Prosecutors argued that the payment was a form of election interference designed to keep important information from voters and therefore violated the law.

In October 2016, Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid a woman named Stormy Daniels $130,000 (£106,000) to keep quiet about the soon-to-be-years-long relationship with the future president.

After he was elected, Trump reimbursed Cohen in installments and then falsely recorded them as legal expenses. Each of Trump’s convictions is related to a false document related to the cover-up.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and has denied having sex with Ms. Daniels. He repeatedly stated that the case was politically motivated persecution.

The six-week trial became a legal, political and media firestorm. Big names like Cohen and Daniels appeared before Trump’s lawyers for questioning.

Trump brought a number of family members and Republican allies to court each day to take the bench at his defense table. Each day, he turned a small media pen in the hallway outside the courtroom into his personal pulpit, using the opportunity to rail against the justice system, the press and other adversaries.

Trump also used the furore of the lawsuit to raise millions from supporters of his legal battles and his campaign to retake the White House.

In the four years between Trump’s terms in office, four separate criminal cases have been indicted, including in New York. In the end, it was the only one that ended up in court.

On the campaign trail and on social media, Trump used his legal troubles to portray himself and his supporters as victims of a rigged justice system.

Despite numerous allegations, including two related to his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, Trump decisively defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in November.

His victory overturned two federal prosecutions against him, including a case involving meddling in a federal election and one involving the alleged mishandling of classified documents. A third case, an election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, has been stuck in a series of delays and side dramas for months.

Only Trump’s hush money trial reached its conclusion after Judge Merchan in early January required Trump to appear virtually or in person for sentencing.

However, the fighting did not stop there. Trump’s lawyers frantically filed appeals and even asked the US Supreme Court to stop Friday’s hearing.

The Supreme Court denied him in a summary judgment issued Thursday evening.

They also fought to have the case dismissed, arguing that president-elects are immune from criminal prosecution, an argument that Judge Merchan rejected, but they continued to argue in higher courts.

When Trump’s New York trial adjourned with a final blow of the gavel on Friday, it also closed a particularly difficult chapter in his personal and political history.

When he is sworn in 10 days from now, he will become the first US president ever to be convicted of a felony.

After Friday’s sentencing, Judge Merchan made one last message to Trump.

“I wish you well as you enter your second term in office,” he said.