Trump's Legal Battle: Judge's Verdict On Lawbreaking

In January 2025, Donald Trump was sentenced by Judge Juan Merchan in a hush money case involving pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments made to Daniels as hush money to buy her silence over a sexual encounter between them. Despite the conviction, Judge Merchan declined to impose any punishment, freeing Trump to return to the White House without the threat of jail time or a fine. This unprecedented outcome has sparked debates about the fairness of the criminal justice system and the notion that the rich and powerful are above the law. The case also raises questions about presidential immunity and the potential impact of Trump's sentence on his ability to govern during his second term as President.

Trump's immunity as president

In the case of Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that former President Trump is at least presumptively immune from criminal liability for his official acts and is absolutely immune for some "core" acts. This includes his attempts to use the Justice Department to obstruct the results of the election. The court's decision set a precedent that many argue places presidents above the law and grants them a blank check to break the law.

The court's ruling has significant implications for Trump's criminal cases. In one case, Trump received an unconditional discharge sentence, meaning he will have a criminal record but face no other penalties. The judge in this case, Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan, cited the legal protection that Trump will have as president as a factor in his decision.

Trump's lawyers have repeatedly asserted presidential immunity in his defence, and this assertion was boosted by the Supreme Court's ruling in July 2024, which afforded former presidents considerable immunity. Trump's attorneys argued that immunity should have kept certain evidence from being presented to the jury and that the case should have been scrapped to avoid impinging on his upcoming presidency. While Judge Merchan initially postponed the sentencing to consider these arguments, he ultimately denied the immunity claims.

The Supreme Court's ruling in Trump v. United States has been criticised by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other organisations, who argue that it undermines democracy and the rule of law. They warn that the decision gives presidents legal cover to break the law and may let a former president off the hook for anti-democratic behaviour. The ruling also complicates the case against Trump and increases the risk that he may walk free.

Judge Juan Merchan's impartiality

Judge Juan Merchan faced accusations of impartiality during his overseeing of Donald Trump's hush money case in New York. Merchan, a Democrat, was accused by Trump of being a "radical partisan" and a "corrupt judge". Trump called for his disbarment, claiming that Merchan's decision was a "rigged charade".

Trump's lawyers also asserted that Merchan had a preconceived bias against their client, stating that the judge had strong-armed Allen Weisselberg, the former longtime finance chief of the Trump Organization, into taking a plea deal. Merchan denied the claims, stating that the defence lawyers had drawn "misleading" conclusions from an "inaccurate" portrayal of his involvement in Weisselberg's plea negotiations.

Further, Trump's lawyers pointed out that Merchan's daughter is a political consultant whose firm has worked for Democrats, and that the judge himself had donated to Democratic causes. However, a state court ethics panel opined that Merchan could continue to preside over the case, and the judge himself vouched that he could be fair and impartial.

In his sentencing of Trump, Merchan stated that he must consider any aggravating factors before imposing a sentence, but the legal protection that Trump will have as president "is a factor that overrides all others". Merchan also emphasised that Trump's legal protection as president did not erase the jury verdict.

Trump's hush money payments

In January 2025, President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced to unconditional discharge in a hush money case, meaning he will not be imprisoned, fined, or face probation. However, his conviction stands, and he will enter office as a convicted felon. The case involved a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election to keep her from speaking out about an alleged affair. Trump denies the affair.

Trump was convicted by a jury in Manhattan in May 2024 on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the payment. He was sentenced in January 2025, just ten days before his inauguration for a second term. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan could have sentenced the 78-year-old Trump to up to four years in prison but chose to end the case without any penalty. Merchan cited the legal protection Trump will have as president as a factor in his decision.

Trump's lawyers had argued that he was immune from criminal prosecution as president-elect and that the case should be stayed to "prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the Presidency and the operations of the federal government." They also argued that Trump's immunity privileges were violated by the use of evidence of his official presidential acts during the trial. However, the Supreme Court rejected Trump's request to halt or delay the proceedings, and he was sentenced as planned.

The hush money case was the only one of four sets of criminal charges brought against Trump in 2023 to reach trial. The other cases involved his handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump's lawyers plan to appeal the hush money verdict.

Trump's felony convictions

On January 10, 2025, Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The conviction was the result of a trial in which Trump was accused of making a hush-money payment of $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the final days of his 2016 presidential campaign to conceal an alleged sexual encounter. Trump, who denied the sexual encounter, argued that the payments to Daniels were legal expenses. However, the jury found him guilty of all 34 felony counts, making him the first former US president to be convicted of felony crimes.

Despite the conviction, Trump avoided jail time and any other form of punishment, receiving an "unconditional discharge" from Judge Juan Merchan. This outcome was influenced by Trump's imminent inauguration as US President and the potential constitutional issues that could arise from imposing a penalty during his term. While Trump faced no immediate consequences, he will be the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency.

Trump has indicated his intention to appeal the verdict, and his lawyers have leaned heavily on assertions of presidential immunity. The Supreme Court's decision to grant immunity to Trump for a wide range of criminal conduct committed while in office has set a precedent that many critics argue gives presidents a blank check to break the law.

Trump's contempt of court

In May 2024, former US President Donald Trump was found in contempt of court for the tenth time by Judge Juan Merchan, who threatened him with jail time for violating a gag order. Merchan fined Trump $1,000 for the violation and ordered him to pay by the end of the week. This was in addition to a $9,000 fine imposed the previous week for nine previous violations of the judge's gag order.

The gag order was imposed in March, before the trial began, and barred Trump from commenting on likely witnesses, potential jurors, court staff, lawyers for the prosecution, and others connected to the case. Merchan later expanded the order to cover his family members after Trump attacked his daughter. However, the order did not prevent Trump from criticising Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Trump was on trial in New York for 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied the affair.

In January 2025, Trump was sentenced in the hush money case, but the judge declined to impose any punishment. This outcome freed him to return to the White House for a second term without the threat of jail time or a fine. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan could have sentenced the 78-year-old Republican to up to four years in prison. Instead, he chose a sentence that sidestepped thorny constitutional issues by effectively ending the case but assured that Trump would become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency.

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