It was, in many ways, a trial like New York had definitely seen before: a panel of citizen jurors finding a real estate mogul guilty of business fraud.
But it was anything but ordinary because when it comes to Donald Trump, the average routinely becomes surreal.
His criminal sentence following a conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records ends a roller coaster of delays and legal proceedings that began when the Republican was former president and ended on Friday, just 10 days before he resumes the White House.
What once had the potential to be one of the most dramatic rulings in modern American history ended on a tone of banality: via video chat, with Trump calling from Florida, showing his age by leaning into the camera.
In the end, Trump’s re-election to lead the country’s highest office spared him a possible prison sentence, making him a convicted felon in name only.
He remained defiant as dozens of reporters, court personnel, prosecutors and the judge gathered on the drafty 15th floor of Manhattan Criminal Court to listen to the 78-year-old man, dressed in a red striped tie, calling the process a “shame for New York,” his hometown.
“I am totally innocent” and “they accused me of calling a legal expense a legal expense,” he said.
“I was treated very, very unfairly. Thank you very much,” Trump said to close his characteristic speech, which he delivered alongside his lawyer Todd Blanche and flanked by two American flags.
‘Purpose’
The legal expense in question was money to silence a porn star to prevent word of their alleged sexual encounter in the days before the 2016 presidential election, which Trump ultimately won.
Before taking the microphone, he fidgeted as prosecutors detailed his crimes, as well as his disparaging conduct before, during and after the trial, saying that “the defendant has intentionally generated disdain” for the judicial system while threatening those who are part of he.
“Such threats are designed to have a chilling effect, to intimidate the people who have the responsibility of enforcing our laws, hoping that they will ignore the defendant’s transgressions because they fear he is simply too powerful,” said prosecutor Joshua Steinglass. .
And yet, Steinglass agreed with Judge Juan Merchán’s final decision to hand down a sentence of unconditional freedom, a move that confirms the guilty verdict but does not sanction the convicted defendant.
“The American public has the right to a presidency free of pending judicial proceedings,” Steinglass said. “Imposing this sentence guarantees this purpose.”
For his part, Merchan was at pains to emphasize that Donald Trump, the average citizen, would have received a harsher punishment than President-elect Donald Trump will receive.
“Never before has such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances been presented to this court,” Merchan said.
“However, the trial was something of a paradox,” he continued. “Once the courtroom doors were closed, the trial itself was no more special, unique or extraordinary than the 32 other criminal trials that took place in this court at the same time.”
The high-profile trial was “conducted in accordance with the rules of procedure and guided by the law,” Merchan said, an indirect rebuttal to Trump’s insistence that the process amounted to a political “witch hunt.”
And after issuing the unconditional release – “the only legal sentence” that the court considered would guarantee the functionality of the presidency – Merchan said goodbye to Trump.
“Sir, I wish you good luck as you assume your second term,” he said.
And with that, the historic first criminal trial against a United States president ended and the screen went blank.
Donald Trump, a convicted felon, had gone offline.
