Judge sentences Donald Trump in hush money case but declines to impose any punishment
Published:Friday | January 10, 2025 | 11:53 AM
President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced Friday in his hush money case, but the judge declined to impose any punishment.
The outcome cements Trump's conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.
Trump can still vote after sentencing, but can't own a gun and will have to turn over a DNA sample
President-elect Donald Trump doesn't have to go to jail, pay a fine or perform community service as a result of his New York hush money conviction. A judge ended the case Friday with a sentence of an unconditional discharge, closing the case with no punishment.
But unless the conviction for falsifying business records is someday overturned, Trump will have felonies on his criminal record, which will affect some of his rights.
Trump is registered to vote in Florida and he'll be able to vote there. Florida does bars people convicted of felonies from voting, but restores their right to vote after they've completed their sentence.
Under federal law, people convicted of felonies aren't allowed to possess firearms.
By law, every person convicted of a felony in New York must provide a DNA sample for the state's crime databank. Samples are collected after sentencing, typically when a defendant reports to probation, jail or prison. Samples can also be taken by a court or police official.
Trump is now expected to return to the business of planning for his new administration
And that includes hosting conservative House Republicans as they gathered to discuss GOP priorities.
The punishment-free judgment marks a quiet end to an extraordinary case.
It was a case that for the first time put a former president and major presidential candidate in a courtroom as a criminal defendant. The case was the only one of four criminal indictments that has gone to trial and possibly the only one that ever will.
- AP
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