The judge handed down a sentence of unconditional discharge, which carries no punishment.

President-elect Donald Trump spoke for six minutes. The judge talked for seven. In the end, the first criminal court sentencing of a former or future president took little more than half an hour.

The judge, as expected, imposes no penalty. The outcome in Trump's felony case cements his conviction but frees him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of jail or a fine.

President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced Friday in his hush money case, but the judge declined to impose any punishment. The outcome cements Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.

Donald Trump’s historic criminal conviction ended without penalty in a Manhattan courtroom Friday, as the president-elect was sentenced to an unconditional discharge for his conviction on felony charges that he paid hush money to an adult film actress to conceal their affair as he ran for president in 2016.

Donald Trump has been sentenced to an unconditional discharge. Per New York state law, it’s a sentence imposed “without imprisonment, fine or probation supervision.” Trump is expected to appeal the ruling.

Supporters and protesters share thoughts on Donald Trump's sentencing outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in New York City on Jan. 10, 2025.

On Friday, a New York judge imposed a sentence that ensures Donald Trump will be the first convicted felon to enter the White House when he is sworn in as president on Jan. 20. It was a brief and relatively calm final encounter of Trump's relationship with Justice Juan Merchan over 21 months and featured accusations of political bias from the former and stern dressings-down from the latter.

President-elect Donald Trump maintained on Jan. 10 his contention that the election-year case which resulted in 34 felony charges was politically motivated and without merit.