Trump Receives Unconditional Discharge for 34 Felony Convictions, Zero Penalties

Ten days before his inauguration, Donald Trump was sentenced in the New York hush money case to an “unconditional discharge”—meaning he faces zero jail time, no fine, no probation, and no restrictions whatsoever despite being convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Judge Juan Merchan ruled that the unique circumstances of Trump’s pending presidency made any meaningful sentence impractical. Trump appeared via video link and used the hearing to attack the case as a “political witch hunt” while calling for the judge and prosecutors to be disbarred.

The case stemmed from Trump’s payment of $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to suppress her story of an alleged affair during the 2016 campaign, with the payments illegally recorded as legal expenses. A Manhattan jury convicted Trump on all 34 counts in May 2024.

The unconditional discharge represents a stark example of the two-tier justice system critics have long decried: a president-elect convicted of 34 felonies walks away with no consequences, while ordinary Americans face severe penalties for far lesser offenses. The outcome demonstrates how political power can effectively nullify criminal accountability.