Judge Says No Prison Term for Trump in ‘Hush Money’ Case
A judge in the "hush money" case has ruled that President-elect Donald Trump will avoid a prison sentence, while upholding his conviction.
New York: A judge in the “hush money” case has ruled that President-elect Donald Trump will avoid a prison sentence, while upholding his conviction.
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Judge’s Ruling on Conviction
Judge Juan Marchan announced on Friday that he would grant Trump an “unconditional discharge” when the sentencing takes place on January 10, just 11 days before Trump is set to take office as the US President. Despite upholding the conviction, Marchan dismissed the argument from Trump’s lawyers that a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity should apply to this case, as Trump’s actions were not official.
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Details of the Case
The case was brought by Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg, who is a Democrat. He accused Trump of violating the law by falsely reporting the payment to a porn star as legal expenses in the business records. The payments were made through Trump’s lawyer to silence Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with him.
Bragg treated each check cut for the payments as a separate offence, leading to Trump being convicted of 34 crimes.
Political Implications and Public Reaction
Despite the case being a major campaign issue for Vice President Kamala Harris and her supporters, voters elected Trump in the last election. Trump portrayed himself as a victim of politically motivated prosecutions. However, Judge Marchan’s ruling means that Trump will face a criminal conviction when he is sworn in as President on January 21.
While Trump could have faced a maximum sentence of four years in prison, this outcome was widely seen as unlikely, given that he had been elected by a majority of voters.
Trump’s Response
Reacting on Truth Social, Trump described the ruling as an “illegitimate political attack” and a “Rigged Charade.” He accused Judge Marchan of imposing a gag order to limit his ability to speak out about the case, suggesting it was done to prevent him from exposing the judge’s alleged conflicts of interest. Marchan’s daughter is the president of a company that worked on campaign efforts for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Other Legal Cases Involving Trump
Two federal cases brought against Trump by a special counsel were recently dropped. One accused him of violating the Official Secrets Act by retaining classified records after leaving office, while the other was related to alleged election interference during the January 6, 2021, riots. Additionally, another local case in Georgia, accusing him of election interference, has been mired in controversy due to accusations of impropriety by the prosecutor, who hired an inexperienced lawyer who was also her boyfriend.
The ongoing legal challenges continue to add complexity to Trump’s path as he prepares for his second term as President.
