Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
What were the charges brought against Donald Trump in his criminal trial?
Executive summary
Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial centered on 34 felony counts — all alleging first‑degree falsifying of business records related to hush‑money payments tied to Stormy Daniels totaling $420,000 — and resulted in convictions on those counts after a six‑week trial in 2024 (trial Apr 15–May 30) and a later sentencing outcome of an unconditional discharge on Jan. 10, 2025 [1] [2] [3] [4]. He has faced other separate criminal matters (federal and state) over 2023–2025 that together brought him as many as 88 total counts across cases, though those other indictments were handled differently (some dismissed or paused) and did not go to trial in New York [5] [3] [2].
1. The charge at the center of the New York trial — “falsifying business records” focused on hush money
Manhattan prosecutors charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, accusing him of concealing $420,000 in payments tied to adult‑film actor Stormy Daniels to hide a sexual encounter and to influence the 2016 election; that indictment was approved by a Manhattan grand jury in March 2023 and the state trial ran April 15–May 30, 2024 [1] [2] [6].
2. What “falsifying business records” meant in the prosecution’s case
According to reporting summarized in these sources, prosecutors alleged the falsified records masked the true purpose of the payments and that the scheme involved business records altered to conceal the transaction; the volume of charges (34 counts) reflected multiple discrete entries and purportedly criminal alterations related to the payments [1] [2].
3. Outcome in New York — conviction, then an unusual sentencing disposition
A jury convicted Trump on all 34 counts on May 30, 2024, and sentencing was later set and delayed; Judge Juan Merchan ultimately issued an unconditional discharge on January 10, 2025 — a sentence that leaves the convictions on the books but imposes no jail time, fines, or probation, a decision the judge linked to avoiding disruption to the presidency [2] [3] [6] [4].
4. Appeals, immunity arguments, and further legal twists
Post‑trial, Trump’s team appealed and argued the trial was “fatally marred” by admission of evidence they say was protected by presidential immunity; federal appellate panels and other courts reviewed whether evidence relating to official acts was properly admitted — an issue that has prompted further judicial review and motions to reconsider aspects of the case [7] [8] [4].
5. Context: He faced multiple, separate criminal indictments across jurisdictions
Beyond the Manhattan hush‑money case, Trump faced other criminal indictments: a federal election‑related indictment in Washington, D.C., that included four counts tied to the 2020 certification, and a federal case in Florida over classified documents, among others. Across the four major indictments reported in 2023–2025, he was charged with a total of 88 criminal counts, though some federal matters were dismissed in late 2024 when he won the 2024 presidential election and special counsel Jack Smith asked to dismiss without prejudice [5] [3] [2] [9].
6. Competing legal and political narratives
Prosecutors framed the New York case as a classic financial‑record crime concealing election‑relevant conduct; Trump and his supporters called the prosecution politically motivated, a “witch hunt,” and have sought to shift parts of the fight to federal courts arguing presidential immunity and other protections [6] [8]. Meanwhile, some legal observers and prosecutors (for example, the special counsel in federal matters) said the government stood behind the merits of other prosecutions even where they were paused or dismissed because of Trump’s election status [9] [7].
7. What these sources do not cover or make unclear
Available sources in this packet do not provide the full trial record, the detailed jury instructions, or complete briefs of each appeal; they also do not provide independent forensic accounting of how prosecutors allocated the 34 counts among specific documents or precise legal explanations of how the court distinguished personal from official acts in admitted evidence beyond the appellate headlines (not found in current reporting).
8. Why the distinctions among cases matter going forward
The New York convictions and subsequent discharge leave a conviction on record while other major federal cases were dismissed without prejudice — meaning prosecutors could refile later, according to reporting — and courts continue to grapple with immunity, venue, and separation‑of‑powers questions that will shape whether and how separate charges proceed in future [3] [9] [7].
If you want, I can pull exact timelines of filings and appeals from these sources or summarize the four indictments and their individual charges in more detail using the same documents [5] [2].