AceShowbiz - President-elect Donald Trump appeared via video feed from his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, for his sentencing on Friday, January 10. Despite being found guilty by a jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with the payoff to adult movie star Stormy Daniels, Judge Juan Merchan ordered an "unconditional discharge."

Trump, who maintains his innocence, called the proceedings "unfair" and has vowed to appeal the conviction. His lawyers had argued that he should be immune as president-elect from any criminal proceedings. However, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 on Thursday to allow the sentencing to proceed.

Merchan's ruling ensures that Trump will be able to return to the White House without the burden of probation or fines. However, he will retain a felony conviction on his record.

In his sentencing, Merchan acknowledged the constitutional protections afforded to Trump as president but emphasized that they do not erase a jury verdict. He also stated that he considered any aggravating factors but concluded that Trump's immunity as president overrides all others.

Prosecutors supported the unconditional discharge, but criticized Trump's attacks on the legal system throughout the case. They argued that his actions have bred disdain for the jury verdict and damaged public perception of the criminal justice system.

Trump's sentencing concludes a norm-shattering case that saw him charged with 34 felonies, put on trial for almost two months, and convicted on every count. Despite the legal detour and sordid details aired in court, his conviction did not harm his political standing with voters, who re-elected him to a second term.

Trump's unconditional discharge is a rarity in felony convictions and was partly motivated by the judge's desire to avoid complicated constitutional issues that could arise if he imposed a penalty that overlapped with Trump's presidency.

The hush money case accused Trump of disguising his business records to conceal a $130,000 payoff to Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with him a decade earlier. Trump denies the alleged encounter and contends that his political adversaries fabricated the charges.

While the specific charges centered on checks and ledgers, the underlying accusations were intertwined with Trump's political rise and his alleged extramarital escapades. Trump's lawyers tried unsuccessfully to dismiss or postpone the case, arguing presidential immunity and the potential impact on his upcoming presidency.

With Trump's sentencing now finalized, his other criminal cases have either ended or stalled. Special counsel Jack Smith has closed out the federal prosecutions over Trump's handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. A state-level Georgia election interference case remains in limbo after prosecutor Fani Willis was removed from it.