It was the kind of afternoon where everyone in lower Manhattan seemed to be holding their breath at the same time. May 30, 2024. If you were online or near a TV, you probably remember the "breaking news" banners flashing across the screen. The jury had reached a verdict.
Honestly, the room was tiny for such a massive moment. Twelve regular New Yorkers—people who probably just wanted to get back to their day jobs—sat across from a former president and said the word "guilty" 34 times in a row. It was heavy. It was historic. And yeah, it was a mess.
So, to answer the big question directly: Yes, Donald Trump was found guilty. He was convicted on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. This made him the first former U.S. president in history to be a convicted felon.
But as with anything involving Trump, the "yes" is just the start of a very long, very weird story that involves hush money, tabloid "catch and kill" schemes, and a legal battle that's still technically breathing in 2026.
Breaking Down the 34 Counts (Wait, Why So Many?)
People always ask why there were 34 counts. It sounds like he robbed 34 banks. In reality, it was much more bureaucratic than that.
The case, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, centered on a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels right before the 2016 election. Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid the money to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter. Trump later reimbursed Cohen.
The 34 counts weren't for the payment itself—hush money isn't actually illegal in New York. The felony charges came from how the paperwork was handled. Every single invoice, check, and ledger entry that called those reimbursements "legal expenses" was considered a separate crime.
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- 11 Invoices from Michael Cohen.
- 12 Ledger entries in the Trump Organization’s books.
- 11 Checks signed by Trump or his trust.
Basically, the jury decided that these weren't legal fees. They were repayments for a cover-up designed to influence an election. Under New York law, messing with business records is a misdemeanor, but it jumps to a felony if you do it to hide or commit another crime. That "other crime" was the key to the whole thing.
The Sentence: Why He’s Not in Jail
This is where things got really confusing for a lot of people. After the "guilty" verdict, everyone expected a sentence. Judge Juan Merchan originally set it for July 2024, then September, then... well, the 2024 election happened.
After Trump won the presidency again, the legal gears basically ground to a halt. You can't really put a President-elect in a orange jumpsuit without causing a constitutional meltdown. On January 10, 2025, just days before his second inauguration, Judge Merchan finally lowered the hammer—but it wasn't a heavy hammer.
Trump was sentenced to an unconditional discharge.
That’s legal-speak for "you're convicted, but you don't have to go to jail, pay a fine, or do community service." The judge basically acknowledged that while the jury found him guilty, the "extraordinary" circumstances of him being the sitting President made traditional punishment impossible.
The Supreme Court's Shadow
You've probably heard about the Trump v. United States ruling. That was the big Supreme Court decision in July 2024 that said presidents have "absolute immunity" for official acts.
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Trump's legal team immediately tried to use this to toss the New York conviction. They argued that some of the evidence used in the trial—like tweets Trump sent while in the White House or meetings he had with staffers—fell under "official acts" and shouldn't have been shown to the jury.
So far, the conviction has held up. The New York courts and even the Supreme Court (in a late-night order in early 2025) allowed the sentencing to proceed, basically saying the "official acts" argument could be handled during the normal appeals process.
Can He Still Be President if He's a Felon?
Short answer: Yes.
The U.S. Constitution is actually pretty brief on what you need to be President. You have to be at least 35, a natural-born citizen, and have lived in the U.S. for 14 years. It says absolutely nothing about a criminal record.
There's a weird irony here, though. While he can lead the country and command the military, his felony status technically means:
- He can’t own a gun (under federal law for felons).
- He had to give a DNA sample to the New York state database (standard procedure for all NY felons).
- Travel is tricky. Some countries like Canada or the UK have strict rules about letting felons in, though they usually make exceptions for heads of state.
What’s Happening Now? (January 2026 Update)
Right now, the case is in the "Appeals Wilderness." Trump’s lawyers are fighting to have the entire conviction overturned. They’re leaning hard on the immunity ruling and claiming the trial was biased.
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Because he was given an unconditional discharge, the "punishment" part is over, but the "convicted felon" label stays on his record unless an appeals court wipes it away. For Trump, the goal isn't just staying out of jail—he’s already achieved that—it’s about scrubbing the record entirely.
What This Means for You
Whether you think the case was a "witch hunt" or a long-overdue "accountability moment," the facts remain: a jury of 12 citizens sat through weeks of testimony, looked at the checks, and decided he broke the law.
If you're trying to keep track of this for your own knowledge or a debate, remember these three things:
- The conviction is real. He was found guilty on 34 counts.
- The jail time isn't. He received an unconditional discharge and is currently serving as President.
- The battle continues. The appeals process could take years, and we might not see a final, final answer until his second term is almost over.
If you want to look into the specifics yourself, the Manhattan DA’s office still has the full list of the 34 counts and the evidence presented (like those infamous handwritten notes from Allen Weisselberg) available in their public press releases.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
Keep an eye on the New York Appellate Division filings. That’s where the next big move will happen. If they decide the "official acts" evidence tainted the trial, we could see a move for a whole new trial—which would be a massive logistical nightmare given he's currently in the Oval Office.