A New York judge on Friday morning issued a sentence waiver for Donald Trump in the case of hidden payments to an X-rated movie star, ratifying a historic criminal conviction for an elected president of the United States.
Donald Trump appeared by video during this hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court, denouncing “a shame for the system.” With this symbolic sentence, he will enter the White House on January 20, at the age of 78, with the label of a habitual criminal.
Donald Trump was indeed convicted but he received no sentence, so he will not go to prison. However, he became the first elected president in the history of the United States to receive a criminal sanction, in the affair of secret payments to an porn star, a symbolic moment that he did everything to avoid before his entry into the White House.
Until the last day and even before the Supreme Court in Washington, the lawyers of the 45th and soon 47th American president increased their appeals by brandishing his past and future presidential immunity, in order to prevent the judge from sanctioning their client. Thunderclap Thursday evening: the Supreme Court of the United States rejected its final appeal by five votes to four. Of the nine judges who compose it, six are conservative, including three appointed by the Republican.
Thus, with this sentencing by Judge Juan Merchan, more than seven months after being found guilty by a jury of 12 unanimous citizens in a Manhattan criminal court, Donald Trump will enter on January 20, at the age of 78, at the White House with the label of a habitual criminal.
But the burden is above all symbolic, for the one who escaped any legal consequences in the three other cases in which he had been indicted, including the most serious before the federal courts for his illegal attempts to reverse the results of the presidential election of 2020. In this case, special prosecutor Jack Smith dropped the charges after the election of Donald Trump on November 5, when the trial had not started.
The future president was not forced to appear in person in Manhattan Criminal Court, with the judge granting him the opportunity to appear by video at the hearing scheduled for 9:30 a.m. (2:30 p.m. GMT).
The magistrate, whom Donald Trump had showered with insults on social networks, also guaranteed that a prison sentence, “impossible to implement”was excluded for the one who is preparing to govern the first world power.
“Middle finger”
Juan Merchan indicated that he was inclined to pronounce a waiver of sentence having the effect of confirming the guilt of Donald Trump and thus allowing him to appeal. “It’s a middle finger (from Donald Trump) to the judge, the jury, and justice,” said former New York prosecutor and law professor at Pace University, Bennett Gershman.
Last spring, the man who was still a presidential candidate had to go almost every day for six weeks to a courtroom with the outdated and summary decor of the criminal court, and attend the debates in this case mixing politics, money and scandal sexual.
The jury found him guilty of 34 counts of accounting falsification to hide from voters the payment of $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels, at the end of his first victorious campaign in 2016 against Hillary Clinton, whose trial had revealed behind the scenes.
The money was paid to buy the actress’ silence about a sexual relationship she claimed to have had in 2006 with the former real estate mogul, a relationship he has always denied.
Assailed by lawyers’ appeals and following a major decision by the Supreme Court on July 1 on presidential immunity, Judge Merchan had to postpone sentencing several times, from July to September, then to November, after the presidential election.
Donald Trump’s victory triggered a new round of appeals from the defense, but Juan Merchan maintained the sentence. As in the other cases in which he was prosecuted, Donald Trump presented himself as the victim of a “witch hunt” orchestrated by his political adversaries.
Back to the case
Former porn actress Stormy Daniels claims to have had a sexual relationship with Trump in 2006, when he was already married to Melania. In 2016, just before the presidential election, Trump allegedly paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 to buy her silence about the relationship.
On May 30, 2025, Trump was convicted in the case, becoming the first ex-US president to be criminally convicted.
On January 10, 2025, Trump is scheduled to receive his sentence, ten days before his inauguration as the 47th President of the United States. He has always denied any sexual relationship with Stormy Daniels and describes this affair as “masquerade” and“illegitimate political attack”.
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