Trump gets no jail time or penalties in sentence for hush money

All you rich people who think you can break any law you want, let this be a ~~warning~~ roadmap

And don't be thinking you can just get away with it either.
You will also be congratulated for doing so, and maybe even rewarded.
- No, they do that, too. Trump has done that. And the right falls all over themselves to minimize and refuse to investigate. As with climate change, if you don't know, then nothing is your fault. Even if it's your job to know.
Andrew Tate just started his own political party... He's following the roadmap
- from Romania?

Not that I expected anything but this, but I'll repeat what I said when Merchan announced the sentencing delay until after the election,

Fucking pussies...

He should resign, clearly he's not fit for his position if he'll allow himself to be intimidated into inaction.

I'm not making excuses for Judge Merchan, but it's easy to say what you're saying when you're not personally dealing with a guy who can and will send an angry mob of violent nutjobs to your house. Something to keep in mind.
- EDIT: Can folks please stop using the downvote as an "I disagree" button. I upvoted Admiral Patrick because they're providing a meaningful contribution to discussion even if I disagree with the point. That's why it's called a discussion. They understand we disagree with our words, we don't need to downvote them to hell to get that point across, jeeze.
  With all due respect, Admiral Patrick, this is a democracy, and the people who take these positions knowingly take them being public positions. By virtue of being a public position, they are respondent to the public.
  If it was an "angry mob" of protestors outside of Aileen Cannon's house, I doubt we'd have the same issue with it, but law enforcement would.
  If you take such a position and care more about your own life and skin then, in my humble opinion, you do not meed the bare minimum requirements for this position. This is a democracy and you are sacrificing yourself to the alter of the public good when you take such a job, up to and including dying to protect democracy.
  You don't say "well I need to roll over to protect myself" when the outcome means you're letting all the most at risk suffer even worse under the thumb of someone like Trump. You just threw the weakest under the bus to save your own skin, which means you should have never been given the job to begin with, because you're supposed to represent everyone, not just the wealthy and well-to-do. The weakest deserve your representation and this is an abdication of that representation which means they were unsuitable for the job to begin with.
  Literally, every time someone bends over and gives in because Trump might hurt them personally, that's just one cut among a death by a thousand cuts of our democracy. Each time they do it, they're sacrificing a stable society in the future to save their skins now, which in my eyes, is cowardice and antithetical to the entire position they took in the system.
  We are literally slipping into fascism because of decisions like these and I do not care about Merchan's comfort when millions are suffering far worse than him, and he has just condemned them to worse by allowing this monster to walk free. He is literally telling us very clearly he values his own life more than the future of this country. He was no Nathan fucking Hale, that's for god damned sure.
  Nathan Hale: "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country"
- Oh, I get it, and I'd be scared as hell too. However, I can still say he should have done his duty and has failed to show the integrity that role requires. He could just as easily be presiding over a mob case, knowing that to convict a crime boss would mean similar threats to his and his family's safety. What if he doesn't do his duty then for the same reason? If that's the best excuse, I still argue that he's not fit for the job.
  People shouldn't get a pass just because they have power. All it takes for evil to win is for good men to do nothing.
- They addressed your point in the last sentence. If he's too afraid to do his job, he should have recused himself.
- When George Floyd was murdered they had a battalion n of police outside of the killer's house to protect him. Why can't they do the same here using the national guard if needed?
- What a phenomenal argument for abandoning the rule of law in favor of terrorism.
- So you’re saying if I’m indicted I should use violence instead of trusting the system.
- Are you saying judges should be afraid to not do the right thing?
- ...A thought that hasn't occurred to me until now: are we effectively living under mob rule?
  They might not make up a majority of people, but maybe they command a majority of angry mobs willing to show up at your house?

The rule of law means that no one is above the law, not even the president. If the president is above the law then we do not have the rule of law. Being labeled a felon is the idea of a punishment, but since there are no consequences to this sentencing there is no punishment.

At least imposing a fine would have been consistent with precedent. At that point it would have been an issue with our laws being to lenient. That would have been a much more easily remedied problem than doing away with the rule of law, a founding concept of modern western civilization.

The rule of law was dead when the Supreme Court ruled presidents have immunity for core constitutional responsibilities and presumed immunity for official acts in Trump v. United States. This is another nail in the coffin.

I have never heard of "unconditional discharge" being a possible sentence for a crime. It's like they made it up just for Trump.

This is the same crime that Michael Cohen got three years in prison for. A crime he committed solely to benefit Trump. It makes no sense.

It makes perfect sense when you realize that the US punishment system is divided into two different systems.
You're either in the system for those who happen to be rich, and are supporting the system, in which case you automatically get released with a slap on the wrist.
Or you're rich or poor and happened to disagree with the status quo. In that instance you'll be fed to the punishment meat grinder, having "the fictitious and imaginary book of laws" thrown at you for the harshest punishment that the US punishment system can imagine through "precedent."

we must be respectful of the office of the presidency

Why do we have to be when he wasnt?

Yeah it's crazy. To me, respect for the presidency keeping it crime-free. People committing crimes in pursuit of the presidency or while in its office should be harshly prosecuted, not let off.

Prosecutors had recommended the sentence, saying in court Friday, “we must be respectful of the office of the presidency” and Trump’s pending inauguration.

What a fucking joke.

You respect the office by holding the criminal to account. This is quite the opposite. But hey, what else should we expect from Merrick Garland, that do nothin’, hand wringin’, Republican-lite son of a removed.

You'll have a felon in the WH. Great job, America!

Ha ha ha, this country is a fucking joke on every level.

“A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.”

Alexander Hamilton

Clown country

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”
Benjamin Franklin
A country founded on genocide and slavery was always ok with being a disgrace

Judge Merchan is a fucking coward.

I understand the feeling, but I think this outcome is probably the best we could hope for, given the situation. If he had tried to impose fines or imprisonment, one of the higher courts would probably have intervened and the sentencing would never have happened.
- That just means there's more than one coward.
- Yeah bullshit. This is something worth ending your career over. The judge should have done the right thing and accepted the consequences.

I know it's decades too late, but it's still cathartic to finally see a lot of people waking up to the neolib/Republican good cop/bad cop con job routine warring over social wedges as they rob us blind since Reagan.
This country was dying before Reagan from our greed disease, and his administration killed any hope it had left. We need a new framework, this one is necrotic.
Revolution! Pain for us means a future for our children they currently don't have. Not a life worth living anyway.
If this is the lesson a majority of people learn we will be ruled by fascists for more than the next four years. Refusing to exercise power is self-defeating and will not inspire any revolutions. If we let things get worse they will get worse, because there is no floor to how bad things can get.
Agreed. This is why I'm going to vote Democrats and downvote anyone who suggests third party candidates
- Surely the Neoliberals next signature piece of legislation they won't shut up about for decades as a "victory" won't be a heritage foundation created plot to further enshrine for profit insurance leeches into healthcare! Hopefully!
  I wonder how they'll move to the right next cycle. "OK ok, we now support the death camps, but God damn it, line in the sand, those death Camps will have Taco Tuesdays! Vote Blue no matter who!"

I get that there was basically no chance that a sitting president was going to jail. But it's not like making him pay a fine would have caused a constitutional crisis.

About the only good thing I can say about this is that it's at least being honest about the complete lack of consequences.

If he had been fined, do you think he'd actually pay it? And what then? You can't stick him in jail to make him pay it.
I think this was the real reason behind the decision. Any governmental punishment is ultimately backed by a threat of jail/prison for non-compliance, but if you can't do that to the president, then he can just ignore it anyway.
- As it is he is now required as a felon in NY to submit a DNA sample, which I am very doubtful he will do. Aint no way they're going to he able to get him to even give up spit. So yeah, no way he would have given up actual money.
  As a side note, if somehow he does submit a sample, imagine the chaos if the database got a hit on an open case. Absolute fantasy fodder, I know, but man would that be sweet.
It could just be that the fine would have been disturbingly low, and by fining that amount it would actually be more embarrassing than waving their hands and saying no punishment for supreme leader.

We had a contest at my blog, predict the punishment Trump will get (not deserve). People guessed parole and fines and suspended sentences, and I've always predicted Trump would get no meaningful punishment, but I've never even heard of being "sentenced" to "unconditional discharge." Basically, sentence to no sentence at all.

Wow, it is sure good to be white and rich and connected in America.

The system is working as intended.

Mario, perhaps?
- Copies are obviously the Waluigeon

Prosecutors had recommended the sentence, saying in court Friday, “we must be respectful of the office of the presidency” and Trump’s pending inauguration.

Yeah we fucking should, that's why he should be in jail! He is disrespecting the office and rule of law, and sentencing him to freedom is enabling that!

The only jobs that convicted criminals can get in the US are in the White House.

Any GOP position will do, as long as it's the right kind of crime.

And here we are. Folks, I am not a lawyer but precedence proves that running for president makes you immune to both federal prosecution and state penalties.

I suggest everyone who wishes to commit a crime (or has already committed a crime) to register your PAC as well as donate to the GOP (like $10) just for good measure. You will need to report to the FEC and your local state electoral board your finances but eh fuck it. It's not like they are going to punish you for not doing it right?

Luigi needs to start his campaign today
- Yup I've been saying this as well. He's too young to actually run for election but it would be a great way to test just how bullet proof (no pun intended) being a presidential candidate is to criminal actions.
Lol as if that would be enough to get you this kind of immunity...
To be fair, the judge specified that it was because he won reelection, not because he was a candidate
- He used the campaign as an excuse many times in court filings and the courts gave him way more leeway to "avoid" appearance of "bias" once it became apparent he was the lead in primaries and after his nomination. And now that we know a state can't even block a candidate for committing insurrection during his last administration, there's no excuse not to run him since you could just argue age bias is wrong and there's no actual mechanism to stop under 35's from running anyway.

Failed state says what?

Basically the judge vacated the decision. Tell me all the “but ackuallys” you want, but the net effect is that the judge unilaterally overturned the decision of the jury.

I certainly hope the 1st World countries will not allow a convicted felon to cross their border.

Don't worry, this will appear 4th on the news sites after we discuss transgender issues and how "triggered" Musk is for the 6th time

Don't forget the Gulf of America!
- "We will invade Puerto Rico and force them to join the USA!"
  main stream media orgasms from all the clicks they're getting

He's still a convicted felon, so won't be entering Canada (and other nations) anytime soon.

The caveat to that is this holds as long as Canada doesn't elect right wingnuts whose first order of business would be to grant that asshole a "freedom pass" to enter my nation.

What a cluster fuck this all is.

I’m pretty certain that after this stern warning he learned his lesson

Definitely an unpopular comment to make in this thread, but from what I read at the time, most people don’t get jail time for first offense of this type of crime.

Of course, most people don’t hold press conferences outside of the courtroom bashing on the judge…

From whatever you read, are most people convicted of such crimes unpunished in any way, like Trump?
- Probably not, but there’s also this:
  Prosecutors had recommended the sentence, saying in court Friday, “we must be respectful of the office of the presidency” and Trump’s pending inauguration.
  Makes you wonder why the prosecutors wasted all their time and tax payer resources just to recommend zero punishment. At least fine the dude in the amount he defrauded people.

Was he under oath for his remarks? Stated that he won the popular vote by millions.

He just did what anyone would have done! He paid for sex. Now can we please get the stupid landing page off pornhub?! Like what am I suppose to say? Yeah I'm not 57? I'm 17 today?

Anyway congrats to our king! The law don't apply the same.