United States: In a landmark moment on Friday, Donald Trump was sentenced without penalty in the New York hush money case after a historic and unprecedented hearing. The former president, who is also set to become president again, was granted a symbolic sentence following his first felony conviction.
Judge Juan Merchan addressed Trump, emphasizing that it was the office of the presidency—not the individual—entitled to extraordinary legal protections, which led to a sentence of unconditional discharge, with no punishment imposed.
As reported by CNN, Trump decided to take the stand before Merchan could even implement his sentence without any remorse ready to launch the same cries of a ‘political witch hunt,’ that he’s been using since he was charged over 20 months ago.
In May, Trump was convicted on thirty-four counts of scheming to falsify business records. Although he has promised to continue to challenge the conviction through the appeal courts, Friday’s sentencing makes the reality that Trump is likely to be the first convicted felon in America’s history to become president in ten days.
An unprecedented sentencing
Merchan has also already indicated he would not put Trump to any punishment, even less to time behind bars. Something the US Supreme Court observed when it permitted that to occur in a 5-4 decision Thursday night over the objection of Trump.
But that did not diminish the importance or the humiliation of Friday’s sentencing for Trump, who was allowed to speak via video from Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida.
At Friday’s sentencing which he participated through a video link, Trump was perhaps more measured in his language, but he spent several minutes berating the prosecutors, the judge, Michael Cohen – everybody and anybody he described as having treated him unfairly.
Trump proceeded to end his speech by pointing out that the voters had returned him to office and enumerating that he garnered all the vote in seven swing states as well as the popular vote.
The voters had “been watching your trial so they understood it,” the president-elect said, hinting that the case served to bring him back to the White House.
Judge also singles out on protection of; ‘office of the presidency’.
Merchan did not comment on Trump’s behavior when he did so but explained the difficulties of a judge who has to pronounce a sentence and the legal grounds that he had no reason to mete out any punishment in this case.