Supreme Court Says NO

[ancianita]

28. But get this. Though he's said otherwise, Judge Merchan still might NOT grant unconditional discharge.

While Merchan has suggested he’s likely to grant an unconditional discharge, his final ruling on Trump’s sentence could be different. If the judge does not grant an unconditional discharge, Trump could still be fined up to $170,000 even if he’s not given prison time, based on a $5,000 fine per charge. The judge could also impose other penalties like probation, though that’s unlikely, given the logistical issues that could present given Trump’s presidency.

WHAT IS AN UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE?

An unconditional discharge, as Trump is likely to get, can be imposed under New York state law when the “court is of the opinion that no proper purpose would be served by imposing any condition upon the defendant's release.” When a defendant is given an unconditional discharge, the court will have to give its reason for doing so, and the defendant is released “without imprisonment, fine or probation supervision,” according to New York law...

WHAT CAN’T TRUMP DO AS A CONVICTED FELON?

Convicted felons face a number of restrictions, though many of them are unlikely to apply to Trump, like holding state public office. Trump will not be able to serve on a jury or own a firearm, and most notably, many countries have travel restrictions that bar convicted felons from entering, which means that as president he may have to get special permission for some travels. That wouldn’t be a first, as CBS News notes President George W. Bush had to get a waiver to travel to Canada as president because he previously pleaded guilty to drunk driving. More than a dozen countries have such restrictions in place, including Australia, Canada, China, Japan and the United Kingdom.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2025/01/09/what-to-expect-from-trumps-hush-money-sentencing-tomorrow-as-supreme-court-refuses-to-stop-it/

Countries restricting him will likely restrict sharing their Five Eyes intelligence with him.