Trump sentencing: What is unconditional discharge? Explained

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

47% : "Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances," Merchan said, clarifying he would sentence Trump to unconditional discharge on all 34 counts related to the case.
34% : "Trump appeared virtually from Florida in a New York court Friday to hear Merchan's unconditional discharge decision.
31% : Regardless of what Trump has to say about Merchan's ruling, with his second term, Trump will still be the first-ever convicted felon in the White House.
29% : "The case, Trump added, "had no crime, no damages, no proof, no facts, no Law, only a highly conflicted Judge, a star witness who is a disbarred, disgraced, serial perjurer, and criminal Election Interference.
26% : "According to MSNBC News legal reporting, Trump was convicted of an "E" level felony in New York, the least severe kind.
26% : Trump was also found guilty in New York state of falsifying business records to cover up the money spent.
24% : Judge Merchan's decision, which Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office announced it didn't "oppose," means Trump has still been convicted, but he will essentially face no punishment for the crimes.
24% : When the verdict was announced, Trump said in court, "This was a rigged, disgraceful trial.
22% : After the verdict was read, Trump wrote on Truth Social, "THERE IS NO CASE, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE, and this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED.
22% : "Trump went on to call his sentencing, "a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice.
16% : Merchan likely chose unconditional discharge based on legal precedent, and to avoid legal and Constitutional arguments over whether Trump could be convicted and sentenced at all based on previous Justice Department rulings on presidential indictments, and recent Supreme Court rulings on presidential immunity with Trump headed back to the White House.
13% : Trump was convicted in May 2023 on 34 counts related to paying former adult film actress Stormy Daniels hush money before the 2016 election to conceal Trump and Daniels' affair years earlier, which, according to the verdict, illegally influenced the election.

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