Judge rules no prison term for Trump in 'hush money' case
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New York: A judge has ruled that President-elect Donald Trump will avoid prison time in the "hush money" case, though his conviction stands. Judge Juan Marchan announced on Friday that Trump would receive an "unconditional discharge" when he is sentenced on January 10, just 11 days before his inauguration as the U.S. President.
In his ruling, Marchan upheld Trump's conviction, dismissing the argument from Trump's legal team that a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity should apply to this case. The judge noted that Trump's actions were not official in nature.
The case was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, accusing Trump of illegal accounting practices related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The payments, which were funneled through Trump's lawyer, were intended to silence Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with Trump. Bragg contended that each payment made was a separate offense, resulting in Trump's conviction on 34 criminal charges.
Despite this legal battle, Trump, who ran for president against Vice President Kamala Harris in the previous election, presented himself as a victim of politically motivated prosecutions. Harris and her supporters had highlighted the case during the campaign, but voters ultimately elected Trump to office.
Marchan's ruling leaves Trump with a criminal conviction looming over him as he is sworn in as President on January 21. The former president would have faced a maximum sentence of four years, a punishment that critics deemed disproportionate, given his election by a majority of voters.
Trump reacted angrily on his social media platform, Truth Social, calling Marchan’s ruling an "illegitimate political attack" and a "Rigged Charade." He also accused Marchan of imposing a gag order on him to prevent him from speaking out about the case, alleging conflicts of interest involving the judge’s family. Marchan's daughter, who heads a company, had worked on Kamala Harris's campaign, leading Trump to allege a political bias in the case.
Two federal cases against Trump brought by a special counsel have been dismissed. One case involved allegations of violating the Official Secrets Act by retaining classified records after leaving office, and the other concerned his alleged role in inciting the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots while Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory.
Another case in Georgia, accusing Trump of election interference, has been complicated by accusations of impropriety against the prosecutor, a Democrat who had hired an inexperienced lawyer, later revealed to be her boyfriend, to handle the case.
With IANS inputs