Trump avoids jail time at hush money sentencing, will appeal conviction

US president-elect Donald Trump has narrowly avoided jail time or further punishment following his criminal conviction related to hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.

On Friday, Justice Juan Merchan sentenced the 78-year-old Trump to unconditional discharge, a decision that places a guilty verdict on his record but allows him to proceed with his upcoming inauguration without jail time.

Merchan emphasized that while Trump would not face a fine, probation, or prison, the protections granted to US presidents do not absolve the seriousness of his crime. “Despite the extraordinary breadth of those protections, one power they do not provide is the power to erase jury verdicts,” Merchan stated. The sentence marks a historic moment as Trump becomes the first president in US history to enter office with a felony criminal conviction.

Trump, who has consistently pleaded not guilty, vowed to appeal the verdict. Speaking from a remote location via television with two American flags in the background, he remarked, “This has been a very terrible experience… I’m totally innocent, I did nothing wrong.” He described the case as an attempt to disrupt his re-election bid, calling it a “hoax” and reaffirmed his intent to challenge the decision. “Now that it is over, we will appeal this hoax,” Trump wrote in a social media post following the hearing.

The case centered around the $130,000 payment made to Daniels by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, in exchange for her silence regarding an alleged sexual encounter with Trump before the 2016 election, which he has denied. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records, accusing him of orchestrating a campaign to conceal the payment in order to influence the election. The jury found Trump guilty on all counts in May.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass criticized Trump’s campaign to undermine the legitimacy of the case, accusing him of breeding disdain for the judicial system. “The verdict in this case was unanimous and decisive, and it must be respected,” Steinglass argued.

Despite the guilty verdict, the political implications of the case are mixed. Trump’s campaign contributions surged after his indictment in March 2023, which helped him maintain a dominant position among Republican candidates. However, polling during the trial showed a significant portion of the electorate viewed the charges seriously, and Trump’s standing among Republicans dipped following the verdict.

The hush money case, while less severe compared to other ongoing legal challenges, including those related to the 2020 election and classified documents, remains a focal point. Trump faces multiple criminal charges, but the hush money case was the first to reach trial, with other cases still pending, including one in Georgia over attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Although Trump is not facing immediate jail time, the case will likely continue to play out over the next few years, potentially influencing his presidency as he battles ongoing legal challenges.