Trump becomes first U.S. president sentenced as a felon

Los Angeles Times ^ | Jan. 10, 2025 Updated 7:22 AM PT | Michael R. Sisak, Jennifer Peltz, Jake Offenhartz and Michelle L. Price

[E. Pluribus Unum]

NEW YORK —  President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in his felony hush money case, but the judge declined to impose any punishment, an outcome that cements his conviction but frees him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.

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 — didn’t 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 Trump will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency.

Merchan said that like when facing any other defendant, he must consider any aggravating factors before imposing a sentence, but the legal protection that Trump will have as president “is a factor that overrides all others.”

“Despite the extraordinary breadth of those legal protections, one power they do not provide is that they do not erase a jury verdict,” Merchan said.

Trump, briefly addressing the court as he appeared virtually from his Florida home, said his criminal trial and conviction has “been a very terrible experience” and insisted he committed no crime.

The former president, appearing on a video feed 10 days before he is again inaugurated, pilloried the case, the only one of his four criminal indictments that has gone to trial and possibly the only one that ever will.

“It’s been a political witch hunt....

[Starboard]

Only until thw conviction by this kangaroo court is overturned.

**************

What’s up with the NY bar? Are they OK with rogue judges, weaponization of the state’s courts and a deeply flawed case?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Do I have that right?

No.

The Federal Election Committee said he did it correctly.

Bragg made it all up from whole cloth.

[grumpygresh]

DOJ and NY courts motto: “Show me the man, I’ll find you the crime”
Trump didn’t destroy the credibility of the legal system, Biden and his leftist allies are entirely to blame.

[Salamander]

All they’ve accomplished is to make him a folk hero.

[The Duke]

BFD .. Nelson Mandela was a felon.

[vortigern]

“The Los Angeles Times” — you’d think since their city is on fire wirh thousands of homes destroyed and the loss of human life, these idiots would have more on their plates than this non-story about nothing.

[Starboard]

“Sentenced by a fraudulent court on fake charges”

************

Not just fraudulent, but also seriously conflicted.

This kangaroo court should motivate even more people and businesses to leave New York.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Actually, they deadlocked on partisan lines to decline prosecution.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/us/politics/trump-michael-cohen-fec.html

[Drew68]

Democrats celebrate firsts. So why aren’t they celebrating the first convicted felon President?

There hasn't been a convicted felon the Democrats didn't want to drop to their knees to fellate until President Trump became one.

[Bshaw]

A single journal entry made by not Trump, turns into 34 felonies. snicker, I can’t wait for the moment this is reversed, and mark my words, it will be.

[Da Coyote]

Yup, our predictions as to the continuing depravity of our once respected media again prove true. We’ll see what happens when that “conviction” is overturned.

[Starboard]

I forgot about that. Great point.

[Third Person]

Badge of Honor

[SkyDancer]

And Biden became the first uncharged traitor as president.

[Paal Gulli]

The operative question is, should he play up the martyrdom aspect and wear the felony conviction like a badge of honor, ... or should he stick his thumb in the demoncrat party’s collective eye by pardoning himself as his first act of office?

[CptnObvious]

The Democrats learned NOTHING. We Americans have been watching.

They are saying they will change the message. So far, it's the same old crap.

And it doesn't look good to us.

[Starboard]

“We’ll see what happens when that “conviction” is overturned.”

************

You’ll have to look real hard to find it. The mendacious media will do its best to avoid reporting on it.

[JPG]

[Scott from the Left Coast]

I am reposting this in too many places…but it’s good for perspective:

A short, haphazard and woefully incomplete list of convicted “felons” throughout history history:

Isaiah son of Amoz
John the Baptist
Jesus of Nazareth
Saul of Tarsus
Shimon Bar Yonah (Simon Peter)
Joan of Arc
William Wallace
Every signatory on the Declaration of Independence
Mohandes Ghandi
Nelson Mandela
Martin Luther King Jr.
Donald J. Trump

[Starboard]

“The Democrats learned NOTHING.”

****************

True that. Watch them double down.

They suffered a resounding repudiation in the election but refuse to acknowledge it. You see, they see themselves as morally and intellectually superior to everyone else so they’re not the ones who need to change their views.