Were the felony charges against trump thrown on appeal

1. What happened at trial and why the conviction is now on appeal

A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty in May 2024 of 34 counts of falsifying business records tied to a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels; the conviction produced an unconditional discharge after his election but did not end appellate litigation, as Trump’s lawyers immediately filed appeals arguing trial errors and legal defenses including presidential immunity for official acts ^{[7] [1] [8]}. The appeal briefs contend the trial “repeatedly erred” by admitting evidence of acts taken while Trump was president — such as testimony from Hope Hicks — and say those admissions were transformed by the Supreme Court’s later immunity ruling ^[1].

2. How the immunity argument has reshaped the appeals strategy

Trump’s team is pressing a two‑track strategy: appeal the state conviction in the New York Appellate Division and try to move the case into federal court so judges there can apply the Supreme Court’s presidential‑immunity framework, arguing that protected “official acts” tainted the jury’s verdict ^{[8] [3]}. Federal appellate panels have already shown willingness to reexamine procedural posture — a three‑judge 2nd Circuit panel ordered a lower court to reconsider keeping the case in state court, effectively giving Trump another shot at raising immunity mid‑process ^{[2] [3]}.

3. What appeals courts have done so far

Appellate courts have not uniformly tossed the conviction; instead they have reopened procedural doors for Trump. The 2nd Circuit panel said it “cannot be confident” a lower judge adequately considered the move‑to‑federal‑court arguments and ordered reconsideration, and Trump’s attorneys have filed written briefs in the state appellate court seeking reversal or dismissal ^{[2] [3] [8]}. Major outlets report the filings as substantial and anticipated — but appellate outcomes remain unsettled ^{[1] [8]}.

4. How other related prosecutions affect the appeals picture

Parallel legal developments matter. Federal special counsel prosecutions were wound down after a Supreme Court decision expanded immunity for presidents, and Georgia’s racketeering case was disrupted by the disqualification of prosecutor Fani Willis and later developments that paused or dismissed charges — developments that remove some prosecutorial levers but do not directly negate the New York conviction currently under appeal ^{[9] [4] [5] [6]}. Time and forum shifts in those matters have produced political and legal ripple effects that Trump’s team cites in their briefs ^{[1] [3]}.

5. Stakes, timelines and what to watch next

The immediate stakes are whether the New York Appellate Division reverses or the federal court finds venue or immunity grounds sufficient to vacate the conviction; procedural rulings on “good cause” to raise late immunity claims and how courts interpret the Supreme Court immunity decision will be pivotal ^{[3] [1]}. Watch for appellate scheduling in the New York Appellate Division First Department, any re‑referral or transfer orders from the 2nd Circuit, and any emergency appeals toward the New York or U.S. Supreme Court — outlets note the team called its filings a “powerhouse appeal” and courts have already given the effort fresh life ^{[8] [1] [2]}.

Limitations and competing views: reporting shows both that Trump has substantive procedural avenues still open and that courts have not yet nullified the jury’s verdict; some outlets characterize the appeals as expected and potentially persuasive given the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling, while others emphasize that appellate relief is uncertain and fact‑dependent ^{[1] [8] [3]}. Available sources do not mention any final ruling from a highest court reversing the conviction.