The air outside the Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024, was thick. Not just with the humidity of a New York spring, but with a tension that felt historical. Inside, a jury of 12 regular New Yorkers—people who probably just wanted to get back to their day jobs—were about to change the American presidency forever. You’ve likely seen the headlines, but the question remains: was Trump found guilty of all 34 counts?
Yeah, he was.
It wasn't a partial victory or a hung jury on the "boring" charges. It was a clean sweep. The foreperson stood up and repeated the word "guilty" 34 times. It was repetitive. It was stunning. And for Donald J. Trump, it meant becoming the first former U.S. president to be branded a convicted felon.
Breaking Down the 34 Counts: What Were They Actually?
When people ask, "Was Trump found guilty of all 34 counts?" they often assume these were 34 different crimes—like 34 separate robberies. It wasn't like that. Basically, the prosecution under Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg argued that Trump participated in a "catch and kill" scheme to influence the 2016 election.
The core of the case was the $130,000 paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. But Trump wasn't charged for the payment itself. Paying hush money is, weirdly enough, legal in many contexts. The crime was how he recorded the reimbursement to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Each of the 34 counts represented a specific document that the jury decided was falsified. They were split into three categories:
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- 11 Invoices: Sent by Michael Cohen to the Trump Organization.
- 11 Checks: Signed (mostly by Trump himself) to pay those invoices.
- 12 Ledger Entries: The internal accounting records that labeled these payments as "legal expenses."
The jury decided these weren't legal expenses. They were reimbursements for a hush money payment disguised to look like a standard retainer. Because they were done to hide "another crime"—which the prosecution argued was a conspiracy to promote an election by unlawful means—the charges were bumped from misdemeanors to Class E felonies.
The Michael Cohen Factor and the "Smoking Gun"
The trial lasted weeks. We saw David Pecker, the former head of the National Enquirer, testify about how they buried stories for Trump. We saw Stormy Daniels give some pretty graphic testimony that Judge Juan Merchan later admitted was probably more detailed than necessary.
But it all came down to Michael Cohen.
Trump’s legal team, led by Todd Blanche, went after Cohen with everything they had. They called him the "GLOAT"—the Greatest Liar of All Time. Honestly, they had a point; Cohen is a convicted perjurer. But the jury didn't just have to take Cohen's word for it. The prosecution brought "the receipts." Literally.
They showed the jury handwritten notes from Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization’s former CFO, that basically mapped out the "gross up" for taxes so Cohen wouldn't lose money on the reimbursement. It was the kind of dry, boring accounting evidence that is actually incredibly hard for a defense to explain away.
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The Sentencing Twist: Unconditional Discharge
Here is where things get really wild and where most people lose the thread. After the "guilty on all counts" verdict, everyone expected a massive sentencing fight. Trump faced up to four years in prison for each count, though as a first-time, non-violent offender, jail was always a long shot.
Then the 2024 election happened.
Trump won. Suddenly, the legal landscape shifted from "how do we sentence a former president?" to "how do we sentence the President-elect?" After several delays and a massive Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity (Trump v. United States), the case hit a wall.
On January 10, 2025, Judge Merchan finally lowered the gavel on the sentencing. He didn't give Trump jail time. He didn't give him probation. He didn't even give him a fine. He sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge.
What is an Unconditional Discharge?
It sounds like a get-out-of-jail-free card, and in many ways, it was. An unconditional discharge means the conviction stays on his record—he is still a convicted felon—but the court imposes no punishment. No supervision, no check-ins, nothing.
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Merchan basically admitted that trying to punish a man about to take the oath of office was a logistical and constitutional nightmare. He called it the most "viable solution" to ensure finality while letting Trump move on to his appeals.
Is the Case Really Over?
Not even close. While the trial is finished, the appeals process is the new battleground. Trump’s team is arguing that the whole thing should be vacated because of the Supreme Court's immunity ruling. They claim that some of the evidence used in the trial—like Trump's tweets and conversations with White House aides—should have been off-limits because they were "official acts."
Alvin Bragg’s office, obviously, disagrees. They argue the hush money scheme was a purely personal, pre-presidency matter. This legal tug-of-war will likely climb all the way back up to the Supreme Court eventually.
What This Means for You
It’s easy to get lost in the political noise. If you're trying to make sense of this for your own records or just to win an argument at dinner, keep these facts straight:
- The Verdict: Yes, the answer to "was Trump found guilty of all 34 counts" is a definitive yes.
- The Status: He remains a convicted felon under New York law, pending his appeals.
- The Penalty: There is no active penalty (jail or fines) due to the January 2025 sentencing of unconditional discharge.
- The Future: Keep an eye on the New York Appellate Division. That’s where the fight to either uphold or toss these 34 convictions is happening right now.
If you want to track the actual documents that led to the 34 counts, you can look up the public exhibits from the Manhattan DA's office—they've made the checks and invoices available for anyone to see. Understanding that this wasn't just "one thing" but a series of 34 specific bookkeeping entries helps clarify why the jury landed where they did.
Next Steps for Following the Case
To stay updated on the status of the 34 counts, you should check the New York State Unified Court System's public records for the case The People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump. You can also follow the filings in the New York Appellate Division, First Department, where the defense's brief to vacate the conviction is currently being processed. These documents will provide the specific legal arguments regarding whether the trial evidence violated the newly established rules of presidential immunity.