Trump set for sentencing in his New York felony conviction

President-elect Donald Trump received on an unconditional discharge for his criminal conviction in New York on Friday, meaning he will not face fines, prison, or any other penalties.

The former and future president appeared virtually in a Manhattan courtroom on Friday for his sentencing on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to an adult film star.

During the brief hearing, New York state Judge Juan Merchan said the only lawful sentence that does not encroach on the office of the president is that of an unconditional discharge on all 34 counts.

The 2024 election results loomed over the hearing, with Trump just 10 days away from being sworn into the oval office for a second term. Trump had argued the sentencing would interfere with his ability to govern.

This was the first time that a former, future or sitting U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges. And this was the only one of Trump's criminal cases to see trial. 

"Trial was a paradox," Merchan said, noting the high level of security and media attention. But "once doors closed, it was no more unique than the other 32 trials taking place in this courthouse at the same exact time."

But while the trial could be seen as ordinary, Merchan said, the same cannot be said about the circumstances surrounding the sentencing because Trump is about to occupy the office of the president.

"Sir, I wish you godspeed as you assume the office of the president," Merchan said before leaving the bench.

No more legal options

Trump on Thursday exhausted his last legal maneuver to stop the sentencing, after a narrow majority of Supreme Court justices declined to intervene.

Right before being formally sentenced, Merchan offered Trump the opportunity to speak. During his remarks, Trump doubled down on his defense — the business records were legal expenses, not hush-money payments, and recorded by accountants, not by him.

"I would just like to explain that I was treated very, very unfairly," Trump said, after reiterating the false claim that the trial is politically motivated, and arguing that he is innocent despite the jury conviction.

An "unconditional discharge" means the president-elect must do nothing, but the conviction will remain on his record. Trump has already said he plans to appeal.

"There's nothing else that the defendant has to do, and therefore it's the least restrictive in terms of how it could impede in any way on the president-elect as he takes office," Anna Cominsky, director of the criminal defense clinic at New York Law School, said ahead of the expected sentence of an unconditional discharge.

"It certainly makes sense that there be some finality to this case because as a nation, we should want to move on, in particular as he assumes the role of president, and be able to look forward to the next four years without this sentence pending," Cominsky said. "There has to be an end."

Of course, Trump's legal team is set to appeal — as they have done throughout the legal proceeding. Appeals could stretch on for years.

Since Trump's conviction in May, Merchan has postponed the sentencing several times, including to avoid any perception of political bias ahead of Election Day, and then to allow Trump to argue he had immunity in the case, based on a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.

Merchan ultimately denied the immunity claims, and the dismissal, paving the way for the hearing on Friday.

Fundraising haul

In May, Trump became the first former or sitting U.S. president to be tried on criminal charges and be convicted.

The jury in Manhattan state court heard from 22 witnesses during about a month of testimony in Manhattan's criminal court. Jurors also weighed other evidence — mostly documents like phone records, invoices and checks to Michael Cohen, Trump's once loyal "fixer," who paid adult-film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about her story of an alleged affair with the former president.

After about a day-and-a-half of deliberations, the 12 jurors said they unanimously agreed that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels in order to influence the 2016 presidential election.

But the conviction appeared to have little impact on Trump's popularity — and ultimate electoral victory during the 2024 presidential election. He has used the legal drama to mobilize donations for his campaign and mounting legal fees.

Within 24 hours of the guilty verdict, Trump's campaign boasted of raising millions of dollars.

And 49% of the nation's voters in November's election ultimately chose to bring Trump back to the White House.

Copyright 2025, NPR