Donald Trump was sentenced to unconditional release for his conviction last year on 34 charges of business fraud related to the payment of money to Stormy Daniels to silence her during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchán could have sentenced the 78-year-old Republican to up to four years in prison. Instead, he chose a sentence that avoided thorny constitutional issues by effectively ending the case.
Trump is now the first former president of the United States and first elected president to become a convicted criminal.
What was the sentence against Trump?
Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass said during the sentencing hearing that the sentencing options included up to four years in prison, but also other penalties. Steinglass maintained that the prosecution was recommending unconditional release based on the circumstances, including the imminent return of Trump to the White House.
"The verdict in this case was unanimous and decisive and must be respected," he stated.
"As pointed out by this court, the defendant's behavior constitutes a 'direct attack on the rule of law itself'," said Steinglass.
Steinglass also highlighted Trump's threats to retaliate against those who have harmed him in his legal affairs, which, according to Steinglass, are intended to have a chilling effect.
Steinglass said that the author of the pre-sentence report, a probation officer who interviewed Trump, points out that Trump considers himself above the law.
What was Trump's reaction to the verdict?
When the prosecutors began their comments, Trump, who was with his lawyers from his mansion in Florida and participated in the process via video conference, shook his head, quickly looking at the screen.
The camera was firmly framed on him and his lawyer, offering the courtroom spectators a much closer view of Trump's expression than during the trial.
Through his social network Truth Social, he expressed his disagreement and annoyance with the ruling: "Today's event was a despicable farce, and now that it's over, we will appeal this meritless deception and restore Americans' confidence in our once great justice system."
He also added that “that result alone proves that, as all legal academics and experts have said, there is no case, there never was a case, and all this fraud deserves to be completely dismissed. The true jury, the American people, has already spoken, by reelecting me with an overwhelming mandate in one of the most consequential elections in history. As the American people have seen, this ‘case’ had no crime, no damages, no evidence, no facts, no laws, just a highly biased judge, a star witness who is a serial perjurer, discredited and dishonored, and criminal election interference.”