Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
On Friday, Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts but received an unconditional discharge in New York, meaning he will not face fines, prison time, or other penalties related to his conviction. The timing of Trump’s sentencing—just 10 days before he is set to be sworn in as president—has caused significant controversy.
Throughout his attempts to delay sentencing, Trump argued that it would interfere with his ability to govern during his second term and stated plans to appeal the decision. This conviction marks the first time a U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges. Critics noted that this is likely the first of several criminal cases being brought to trial.
Judge Merchan, who presided over the trial, described it as a “paradox” due to the heightened security and media attention surrounding the proceedings. However, he emphasized that once the trial began, it was no more unique than the other 32 trials happening in the courthouse at the same time. He did acknowledge that the sentencing was unusual given Trump’s upcoming presidency.
