Trump felony counts overturned
Executive summary
A Manhattan jury convicted Donald Trump in May 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records tied to a hush‑money payment; he was later given an unconditional discharge on January 10, 2025, and his team has pursued appeals and immunity arguments to overturn the conviction [1] [2] [3]. In November 2025 a federal appeals panel ordered a lower court to re‑examine whether the case should belong in federal court — a step that gives Trump another pathway to try to erase the conviction, while other parts of his legal landscape (different jurisdictions and prosecutors) continue to shift [4] [5] [2].
1. What was the conviction and immediate disposition
A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments tied to Stormy Daniels; the New York court record and contemporaneous summaries note the 34 felony counts and the conviction in May 2024 [1] [2]. Although convicted, the judge issued an unconditional discharge on January 10, 2025 — meaning Trump was spared jail, probation, and fines in that sentence [3] [6].
2. Why defenders call for overturning the verdict: immunity and federal‑court hooks
Trump’s legal team argues the conviction should be reversed because of errors in admitting evidence of his presidential acts and because of Supreme Court precedent on presidential immunity, framing the prosecution as inconsistent with that immunity [2]. Separately, a federal appeals court in November 2025 ordered a lower court to reconsider whether the case belonged in federal court — a procedural route that could lead to dismissal or transfer if the court finds federal jurisdiction or immunity applies [4] [5].
3. What the appeals step actually does and doesn’t do
The appeals panel’s order does not itself erase the conviction; it instructs U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to review more closely whether the state prosecution should have been brought in federal court in light of Supreme Court immunity doctrine, effectively giving Trump “another shot” to have the conviction set aside on jurisdictional or immunity grounds [4] [5]. Available sources do not claim the appeals panel has already overturned the conviction; they report only that the court ordered further consideration [4] [5].
4. Competing legal theories and their practical stakes
Prosecutors in Manhattan (Alvin Bragg’s office) have treated the case as a state criminal matter tied to falsified business records; Trump’s team contends that evidence admitted about his official acts and the Supreme Court’s immunity framework mandate reversal [2] [4]. The practical stakes are high: if immunity or federal‑court jurisdiction is found to displace the state action, the conviction could be vacated; conversely, if courts reject those defenses, the conviction could stand and remain subject to ordinary appellate review [2] [4].
5. Parallel developments and the shifting prosecutorial landscape
Beyond the New York hush‑money matter, other prosecutors and cases involving Trump have evolved: some charges in other jurisdictions were paused, dropped, or reallocated after his 2024–2025 election victories and related legal developments, and prosecutorial decisions have affected what remains active — showing that outcomes are being shaped by multiple procedural moves across courts and offices [7] [6]. For example, sources note other state cases saw dropped charges or prosecutorial changes after reelection and immunity arguments [7] [6].
6. How to read headlines claiming the felony was “overturned”
Headlines that say the felony was “overturned” would overstate what the cited decisions show: as of the available reporting, courts ordered further review of jurisdiction/immunity questions and Trump’s team continues appeals, but the conviction itself was not automatically vacated by the November 2025 appeals panel order — the order simply reopens a legal path to try to erase it [4] [5]. If a later court explicitly vacates the verdict, that would be a discrete, verifiable event; current sources document procedural reconsideration and active appeals rather than an immediate reversal [4] [2].
7. What to watch next
Key near‑term markers to follow in reporting are (a) Judge Hellerstein’s ruling on the appeals panel’s remand about federal‑court consideration and immunity, (b) any higher‑court rulings accepting or rejecting immunity claims, and (c) whether prosecutors seek further appeals or new charges elsewhere — each step will definitively alter whether the conviction remains in force or is set aside [4] [2] [5]. Available sources do not describe any final appellate decision reversing the conviction as of the reports cited [4] [5].
Limitations: this summary relies only on the provided reporting and court documents; available sources do not mention later rulings that might have fully vacated the conviction or final appellate outcomes beyond the November 2025 remand and the January 2025 discharge [4] [3] [1].