President-elect Donald Trump was officially sentenced Friday morning in his New York hush money case, just one day after the Supreme Court declined to halt the proceedings. However, according to CNN legal analyst Elie Honig, this outcome could actually work in Trump’s favor as he prepares to mount a significant appeal effort.
Trump was convicted in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. Despite the felony convictions, Judge Juan Merchan handed down an “unconditional discharge,” meaning Trump faces no jail time, fines, or probation. Under New York law, this type of sentence finalizes the conviction but carries no direct punishment.
Honig explained on CNN that the Supreme Court’s decision not to delay the sentencing may give Trump a strategic legal advantage. “Trump actually gets a benefit by being sentenced [Friday],” Honig told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. “Once the sentencing is over, he can fully pursue appeals. He can challenge the constitutionality of the charges, argue that the jury wasn’t properly instructed, and raise other legal issues.”
The Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling against Trump’s request to delay sentencing highlighted the case’s complexity. Conservative Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s liberal justices in denying Trump’s bid, while Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented. The majority reasoned that the sentencing imposes little burden on Trump, especially since he could attend the brief hearing virtually. They also acknowledged that Trump may have “substantial issues” to raise on appeal, but said those should be addressed through standard legal channels.
Honig noted that if Trump had succeeded in delaying the sentencing, he wouldn’t yet be able to file appeals. Now that the sentencing is complete, Trump’s legal team can escalate the case to the New York Court of Appeals and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court. His attorneys are expected to challenge the constitutionality of the charges and claim that the jury instructions were flawed.
Despite the lack of immediate punishment, Trump must now comply with certain legal consequences as a convicted felon. Notably, he is required to surrender his firearms and gun permit to the NYPD.
Trump, for his part, has remained defiant. Posting on Truth Social, he stated, “I never falsified business records. It is a fake, made-up charge. I was hiding nothing.”
With his legal battles far from over, Trump now has the opportunity to fully challenge the conviction as he prepares to return to the White House.
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