Credit:Britannica.
,,,,,No Imprisonment or Fine
Foreign news.
The United States Supreme Court has sentenced President-elect Donald Trump in connection with hush-money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
The court’s ruling, issued on January 10, found Trump guilty but imposed no imprisonment, fine, or probation, meaning he is free to take office on January 20 without legal restrictions.
Judge Juan Merchan sentenced Trump to an “unconditional discharge,” rejecting his legal team’s request to delay the proceedings until after his inauguration.
As a result, Trump’s conviction will appear on his permanent record, but he will not face additional penalties.
Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the hush-money payments, which were made ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintained that the charges were politically motivated.
During the virtual sentencing hearing, Trump described the trial as a “political witch hunt” and argued it was intended to harm his reputation and derail his presidential campaign.
“It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election and obviously that didn’t work,” he stated.
Prosecutors argued that the payments were meant to conceal a sexual affair with Daniels that could have damaged Trump’s candidacy. Trump denied any sexual relationship with Daniels.
The court’s decision to impose an unconditional discharge, rather than a prison sentence or fine, was based on the judgment that no further punishment would serve any meaningful purpose.
Under New York’s penal code, this option allows for release without additional conditions if the court deems it appropriate.
Trump’s legal team had attempted to delay the sentencing, citing potential harm to his presidency.
However, the Supreme Court ruled that any issues regarding evidence violations could be addressed through the appeal process.
Trump is expected to appeal his conviction, a process that could extend throughout his presidency.
“Today’s event was a despicable charade “We will appeal this Hoax and restore trust in our once great System of Justice,”he wrote on Truth Social.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
