As expected the sentencing of Donald Trump commenced on Friday morning. As reports previously indicated, Trump in fact avoided jail time.
The Lowdown
Despite such the convicted felon and President-elect will retain his status as said felon and the first to enter the WH as such. Donald Trump challenged the effort to label him a felon at every turn of the case but ultimately lost.
Judge Juan Merchan handed down his sentence of an unconditional discharge. The move formalizes Trump’s status as a felon for the final time.
“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” the trial judge, Juan M. Merchan, said during the sentencing. “This has been truly an extraordinary case.”
Trump on his part told reporters following the sentencing that he maintains his innocence despite his conviction. The sentencing comes after the Supreme Court ruled against Trump’s last ditch effort to stop the sentencing.
“Donald Trump the ordinary citizen, Donald Trump the criminal defendant” would not be entitled to the protections of the presidency, Justice Merchan noted.
“This court has determined that the only lawful sentence that permits entry of judgment of conviction without encroaching on the highest office of the land is an unconditional discharge,” Justice Merchan said.