Trump's 34-count New York hush-money conviction (May 2024) and sentence of unconditional discharge (Jan. 2025); removal fight continues in 2026

Case

A Manhattan jury convicted Trump on May 30, 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records tied to concealing a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels. On Jan. 10, 2025 Justice Juan Merchan sentenced him to an unconditional discharge, leaving the conviction intact with no penalty. On Aug. 28, 2026 a federal judge for the third time refused to move the case to federal court on presidential-immunity grounds; Trump is appealing and a separate state appeal is pending.

Verdict, sentence and appeals
A New York County jury found Trump guilty on May 30, 2024 on 34 felony counts of first-degree falsifying business records, concerning concealment of a $130,000 hush-money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels, whose claim of a sexual encounter threatened his 2016 campaign.
On Jan. 10, 2025 Justice Juan Merchan sentenced him to an unconditional discharge: the conviction stands but no prison, fine, parole or conditions were imposed. Each count is a Class E felony carrying up to four years.
Merchan said an unconditional discharge 'appears to be the most viable solution to ensure finality and allow (Trump) to pursue his appellate options.'
Before sentencing, his bids to overturn the verdict on presidential-immunity grounds were rejected by Merchan, New York's highest court and the U.S. Supreme Court.
In November 2025 the 2nd U.S. Circuit ordered Judge Alvin Hellerstein to reconsider his earlier denial of removal to federal court; on Aug. 28, 2026 Hellerstein rejected the bid a third time, calling Trump's reasons 'neither new nor legally sufficient.'
Trump's lawyers are appealing that ruling, and a separate challenge in New York's state appellate courts is pending.

Perspectives

Defender — Donald Trump and his lawyers (including Todd Blanche)
Trump denies wrongdoing and has called the criminal cases against him politically motivated. His lawyers said at sentencing that he intends to appeal, and argue the case belongs in federal court and is barred by presidential immunity.

Note
Trump denies wrongdoing, calls the case political, and is appealing the conviction and the denial of his bid to move it to federal court.

Sources
[1] PBS NewsHour — Trump was sentenced to an unconditional discharge in his hush money conviction. Here's what that means (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/trump-was-sentenced-to-an-unconditional-discharge-in-his-hush-money-conviction-heres-what-that-means) · 2025-01-10
[2] PBS NewsHour — Trump loses again in bid to erase his hush money conviction (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-loses-again-in-bid-to-erase-his-hush-money-conviction) · 2026-08-28

Connections

Same actor — Denials in the face of documented facts: how Trump, his family, his businesses, the White House and the Pentagon have answered fraud and conflict-of-interest allegations (2017-2026)
Adds the 2024 conviction to the record of Trump's legal matters and his responses to them.

Related — Federal prosecutions and investigations of Trump critics and opponents since 2025: Comey, James, Bolton, Brennan, Schiff, Cook, Lucas and others (status as of Oct. 25, 2026)
Trump's own criminal cases alongside the prosecutions his administration has brought against critics.

Same actor — Trump's classified-documents case: dismissed in July 2024 over the special counsel's appointment, and Volume II of Jack Smith's report permanently barred from release (Feb. 23, 2026)
Companion entries on Trump's own criminal cases.