In an unprecedented moment in U.S. history, President-elect Donald Trump faces sentencing on Friday in the Stormy Daniels hush money case in New York.
The sentence will be handed down in an austere Manhattan courtroom by Judge Juan M. Merchan, a New York state judge, who oversaw Trump’s trial last year.
At the end of the trial in May, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
The seriousness of the charges meant it was open to the judge to impose a jail sentence or hefty fine.
However, Judge Merchan has since indicated he plans a ‘no-penalty’ sentence called an ‘unconditional discharge.’
An ‘unconditional discharge’ means no jail time, no probation, and no fines for Trump.
Prosecutors are not opposing the judge over his stated intention.
An unconditional discharge is a rarity in felony convictions such as Trump’s.
The judge has said he is handing it down partly to avoid complicated constitutional issues that would arise if he imposed a penalty that overlapped with Trump’s upcoming presidency.
Donald Trump is receiving an ‘unconditional discharge’ meaning no jail, fine, or probation
Judge Juan Merchan decided not to send Trump to jail
Nothing is final until Friday’s proceeding is done but there seems no likelihood of the judge changing his mind.
The sentence still means that Trump will be a convicted felon.
Ten days after his sentencing he will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the U.S. presidency.
