(SenePlus) – According to information reported by the New York Times, Donald Trump on Friday became the first elected American president to be officially recognized as a criminal, while avoiding prison in a case of falsification of commercial documents.
In a virtual hearing from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, the former and future president of the United States received an “unconditional discharge” from his sentence – a lenient alternative to imprisonment or probation. on probation – for 34 counts of falsifying business records.
“Never before has this court been confronted with such unique and remarkable circumstances,” said Judge Juan M. Merchan, quoted by the New York Times, before explaining that only the presidential office protected the accused from the seriousness of the verdict. “This court has determined that the only legal penalty allowing the conviction to take effect without encroaching on the highest office of the land is an unconditional discharge,” he said.
The case dates back to 2016, when Trump had pornographic actress Stormy Daniels pay money to buy her silence regarding an alleged affair. According to the New York daily, a jury of twelve New Yorkers concluded in May that Trump had reimbursed his henchman Michael D. Cohen for this money, then ordered the falsification of documents to conceal the payment.
“It’s a fact, I’m completely innocent,” Trump said during the hearing, calling the proceedings a “very terrible experience.” His lawyer Todd Blanche denounced electoral interference, calling it “a sad day” for the Trump family and the country.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass for his part castigated the attitude of the former president: “Far from expressing any remorse for his criminal conduct, the accused deliberately sowed contempt for our institutions and the rule of law,” reports the New York Times. He added that Trump “has caused lasting damage to the public perception of the criminal justice system.”
Although Trump can now appeal his conviction, he will not be able to grant himself a presidential pardon, which does not apply to state-level charges. The move comes after the Supreme Court on Thursday rejected his request to postpone the hearing, in what the New York Times calls a “surprising display of independence.”
