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January 10, 2025 10:54 AM UTC

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

  • 6 Comments
  • 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.

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6 thoughts on “It’s Official: Donald Trump is the “First Felon””

  1. Few impacts …

    • Trump's DNA will go into a state database, and is automatically dropped into the FBI's CODIS.  He will need to pay the standard state fee.
    • a felon is prohibited from owning a gun (by federal law).
    • Florida allows voting by those who can vote in the state where the conviction takes place — and NY allows felons not in prison to vote. 
    • And of course, even felons can serve as President, as the Founding Fathers did not consider such a conviction to be disqualifying (or thought it would NOT be possible for a felon to run, win according to state rules, and gain support in the Electoral College). 

  3. “This has been a terrible experience..”

    I was under the impression that a defendant who whines about the trial and insists on his innocence during his sentencing is likely to draw the judge’s ire and an enhanced sentence.

    I guess not.

    1. Trump has been whining from before the trial began.  He already was slapped with fines for contempt, and really can't get more.  The judge's speech on the sentence made it clear that he was unwilling to push consequences on the now-elected Trump. 

      It is the Office of the President that bestows those far-reaching protections to the office holder, and it was the citizenry of this nation that recently decided that you should once again receive the benefits of those protections, which include, among other things, the Supremacy Clause and presidential immunity. It is through that lens and that reality that this court must determine a lawful sentence.

      After careful analysis in obedience to governing mandates and pursuant to the rule of law, this court has determined that the only lawful sentence that permits entry of a judgment of conviction without encroaching upon the highest office in the land is an unconditional discharge, which the New York State Legislature has determined is a lawful and permissible sentence for the crime of falsifying business records in the first degree.

      One downside I've not seen described, but from what I read on the trial process — with conviction and sentencing, Trump's gag order is no longer in force. 

      1. Yeah, I’m kind of waiting for Trump, after consulting with his AG, to order one of his Secret Service detail to shoot a random person on 5th Avenue, just to prove he can get away with it.

  4. My revulsion with the Orange Destruction and his minions can’t really be overstated. I consider those “moderate conservatives” who looked the other way, to be among those minions. Where are you, LBIAPOS? What have you to say? Are you ready to live in a White, Christian, police state? That army of Moderate Republicans we were told would rally together and reject the crime syndicate  preparing to take over the federal  government, failed. Trumps’ America?

    Thanks,  Republicans. The “Fourth Reich” is beginning. Behold your handiwork.

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