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Which of Trump's convictions were overturned on appeal and why?
Executive summary
Donald Trump’s only criminal conviction to date is the May 30, 2024 New York verdict: a unanimous jury found him guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the “hush‑money” case [1] [2]. As of the latest reporting in the provided sources, that conviction had not been vacated — judges up to early January 2025 upheld the verdict and the matter remained on appeal and in active litigation, with federal appeals judges later giving new routes to challenge or move the case [2] [3] [4].
1. The conviction at issue — what it covers and the outcome
A Manhattan jury convicted Trump in May 2024 on 34 counts of falsifying business records tied to alleged hush‑money payments to Stormy Daniels; the conviction made him the first U.S. president (former or sitting) to be convicted of a felony [1] [2]. Judge Juan Merchan later imposed an unconditional discharge in January 2025 — meaning no jail or fine at that sentencing — but the underlying guilty verdict remained and was appealed [5] [1] [2].
2. Immediate post‑trial rulings — judges rejected motions to vacate
After the Supreme Court’s July 2024 decision granting broad presidential immunity for official acts, Trump sought to overturn the New York conviction by arguing that evidence at his trial was improperly admitted because it reflected “official acts.” New York Judge Merchan rejected those challenges and upheld the conviction in rulings through December 2024 and January 3, 2025 [2] [5] [6].
3. Appeals pathways: state appeal and a separate federal‑court route
Trump has pursued classic state‑court appeals to the New York appellate system seeking to void the conviction; separately he and his lawyers have tried to move or transform the case into a federal‑court question based on presidential‑immunity doctrine. The latter strategy has gained traction with federal judges and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ordering reconsideration of whether the case belongs in federal court — a procedural route that could lead to dismissal or a different legal analysis [3] [4] [7].
4. How the Supreme Court immunity decision factors in
The Supreme Court’s July 2024 ruling that presidents enjoy presumptive immunity for “official acts” has been central to defense arguments that trial evidence about Trump’s conduct as president should have been excluded and that some legal theories are preempted by federal law. Trump’s team argues that testimony (for example, from Hope Hicks) and references to official acts fatally tainted the trial; those arguments form the core of appeals filings [8] [9] [1].
5. Federal government briefs and the unusual dynamic
In an unusual alignment, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a friend‑of‑the‑court brief arguing Trump’s conviction should be thrown out because it relied on improper evidence and on a legal theory preempted by federal law — effectively supporting at least part of Trump’s immunity‑based arguments in the appeal [9]. That brief recognizes the Supreme Court immunity decision’s limits on what state prosecutors may present about official acts [9].
6. What “overturned on appeal” means here — and what reporting shows
None of the sources provided show a court that has actually overturned or vacated the New York conviction as of their dates; rather, reporting documents ongoing appeals, reconsideration orders, and efforts to move or dismiss the case in light of immunity rulings [2] [3] [4]. Fact‑checkers noted social posts claiming all of Trump’s convictions had been overturned were false, stressing that the New York conviction had not been overturned and remained under appeal [10].
7. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas in coverage
Trump’s legal team frames appeals as vindication of constitutional rights and calls the prosecution a “witch hunt” and “meritless,” stressing the Supreme Court immunity precedent [8]. Prosecutors in Manhattan defend the conviction as grounded in evidence of private conduct and business‑record falsification unrelated to official acts [2]. The DOJ’s brief siding with aspects of the defense introduces complexity: it can be read as a legal, not political, assessment tied to separation‑of‑powers concerns [9]. Readers should note partisan framing from both sides — defense statements use charged language (“witch hunt”), while prosecutors emphasize preserving a state criminal justice claim.
8. Bottom line for the question “Which convictions were overturned and why?”
Available sources do not show any of Trump’s convictions actually overturned on appeal; his May 2024 New York conviction remains under appeal and was repeatedly upheld by trial judges through early January 2025, even as federal appellate procedures have given new avenues to contest it under presidential‑immunity doctrine and the DOJ has urged vacatur on limited grounds [2] [3] [9]. Fact checks likewise say claims that convictions already were overturned are false [10].
Limitations: reporting in these sources extends through late 2025 developments about procedural wins and DOJ briefs but does not include a final, nationwide appellate or Supreme Court resolution vacating the conviction; if a later court actually overturns the verdict, that event is not included in the provided material [3] [4] [9].