At Trump’s sentencing, a measured judge confronts a president-elect

New York: So, Trump just got sentenced by a judge in New York, and it’s a pretty big deal. This means he’ll be the first convicted felon to step into the White House when he takes office again in January.

The whole thing was a bit tense but also calm, considering the history between Trump and Judge Juan Merchan. They’ve had their share of back-and-forth over the past 21 months, with Trump throwing around accusations of bias. But the judge kept his cool, even when Trump was making personal digs.

Back in April 2023, Trump was charged with falsifying business records to cover up payments made to a porn star. While he won’t be going to jail, the judge’s ruling means that his conviction will stick around on his record.

Outside the courtroom, Trump was pretty vocal about his feelings towards the judge, calling him a “radical partisan.” His team even tried to get the judge removed from the case, pointing out that his daughter worked for a Democratic group. Trump even made comments about the judge’s Colombian background, suggesting it showed bias.

Merchan didn’t bite on Trump’s attacks but made it clear he wasn’t a fan of the former president’s public comments. Before the trial, he had to put a gag order on Trump to keep him from talking about certain people involved in the case. Trump ended up getting fined for breaking that order a few times.

After the trial, the judge criticized Trump for not respecting the legal system and turned down his last-minute request to toss the verdict because he won the election. This case was a big moment for Merchan, who came to the U.S. from Colombia as a kid and has worked his way up in the legal system.

The whole situation was unprecedented, being the first criminal trial of a sitting or former U.S. president. Merchan had to delay the sentencing a few times, trying to avoid any appearance of political bias. In the end, he had little choice but to give Trump an unconditional discharge, meaning no jail time.

During the brief hearing, Trump said he felt he was treated unfairly, and the judge wished him well as he prepares for his second term. It was a historic moment, to say the least.