January 10, 2025 10:54 AM UTC

It's Official: Donald Trump is the "First Felon"

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• by: Colorado Pols

As The New York Times reports:

After months of delay, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s New York criminal case culminated on Friday with the nation’s former and future president avoiding jail, but becoming a felon.

“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” the trial judge, Juan M. Merchan, said at Mr. Trump’s sentencing. “This has been truly an extraordinary case.”

He then imposed a so-called unconditional discharge of Mr. Trump’s sentence, a rare and lenient alternative to jail or probation. Explaining the leniency, Justice Merchan acknowledged Mr. Trump’s inauguration 10 days hence…

…Despite the lenience, the proceeding carried symbolic importance: It formalized Mr. Trump’s status as a felon, making him the first to carry that dubious designation into the presidency. [Pols emphasis]

Mr. Trump appeared virtually, his scowl projected onto a screen in a chilly and bright Lower Manhattan courtroom filled with reporters, sketch artists and the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg. The president-elect was at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, seated along with one of his lawyers in front of a pair of large American flags.

“This has been a very terrible experience,” Mr. Trump said during the hearing, adding: “The fact is, I’m totally innocent.” [Pols emphasis]

Donald Trump and his lawyers had been trying really hard to prevent The Big Orange Guy from the ignominious distinction of becoming the first convicted felon to take the oath of office as President of the United States.

Trump can whine about being innocent as much as he likes — it won’t change the legal or historical distinction. And because Trump was convicted in a state court in New York, there’s not a damn thing he can do about it in terms of trying to pardon himself.

Today was a small victory for justice, but a victory nonetheless.