US President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced on Friday in his hush money case, but the judge declined to impose any punishment. The outcome cements Mr Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.
Mr Trump’s sentence of an unconditional discharge caps a norm-smashing case that saw the former and future president charged with 34 felonies, put on trial for almost two months and convicted on every count. Yet, the legal detour — and sordid details aired in court of a plot to bury affair allegations — did not hurt him with voters, who elected him to a second term.
Manhattan Judge Juan M Merchan could have sentenced the 78-year-old Republican to up to four years in prison. Instead, he chose a sentence that sidestepped thorny constitutional issues by effectively ending the case but assured that Mr Trump will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency.
Mr Trump said his criminal trial and conviction has “been a very terrible experience” and insisted he committed no crime as he appeared virtually on Friday to be sentenced.
Judge Merchan said it was a “truly extraordinary case”, adding: “Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances.”
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