MANHATTAN COURTROOM: President-Elect Donald Trump, [who was sentenced Friday (10th Jan, 2025) to unconditional discharge by Judge Juan Merchan on all 34 charges,] calling the trial a despicable charade, proclaimed that he was innocent and would appeal against the conviction.

President-Elect Donald Trump, being in Florida, appeared by means of video link before the court and held that the case had been a political witch hunt. The New York Judge Juan Merchan pointed out that it was only lawful sentence (as the President-Elect Trump will be taking office in few days) and he will not be incarcerated, nor fined or face probation.
Donald Trump’s records will reflect that he was convicted for falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told the court that Trump caused enduring damage to public perception of the criminal justice system. Nevertheless, the Judge held that unconditional discharge was the only lawful sentence.
It may be recalled that earlier Juan Merchan had signalled that the word convicted will blemish the legal record of President-Elect Donald Trump. The eighteen-page document penned by New York Judge maintained that Trump’s conviction should not be thrown out simply because he was elected president.
Juan Merchan’s judgement further said that Donald Trump could appear in person or virtually for the hearing. The judge wrote: “Indeed, the sanctity of a jury verdict & the deference that must be accorded to it, is a bedrock principle in our Nation’s jurisprudence.”
Trump responded via Social Media terming the case as a rigged charade and dismissing the order as an illegitimate political attack. It is pertinent to mention here that Donald Trump was convicted in May of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Donald Trump proclaimed that he would fight the case.
Newspakistan.tv