President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in the Story Daniels hush money case, with Judge Juan Merchan ordering an “unconditional discharge” on 34 felony counts. The sentence means that Trump will face no jail time or other punishment,

Donald Trump has been given an unconditional discharge over hush money payments sent to porn star Stormy Daniels, avoiding jail before his inauguration later this month.

Judge Juan Merchan sentenced Trump on Friday to no jail time, probation, or fines after he was convicted by a jury of falsifying business records.

President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced Friday in his hush money case, but the judge declined to impose any punishment

The president-elect appeared via video-link, complaining the court ordeal had been a "terrible experience", as he was sentenced over a scheme to hide hush money paid to porn actor Stormy Daniels.

Trump was present for his sentencing on January 10, 2025, eight months after he was convicted in his hush money trial.

With Trump 10 days from inauguration, Judge Juan M. Merchan has indicated he plans a no-penalty sentence called an unconditional discharge and prosecutors aren’t opposing it. That would mean no jail time, no probation and no fines would be imposed, but nothing is final until Friday’s proceeding is done.

The charges related to payments Trump’s company made to a lawyer, Michael Cohen, to reimburse him for paying off porn actor Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential campaign.

Donald Trump fought hard right up to the last minute to try and escape sentencing. He finally received his sentence, with the judge granting him an “unconditional discharge” after he was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments intended to conceal an alleged affair with Stormy Daniels.