Which cases against Donald Trump resulted in convictions, guilty pleas, or civil liability findings and what penalties were imposed?
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Executive summary
Donald Trump was criminally convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan “hush‑money” case; a judge later imposed an unconditional discharge so he faced no prison, fines or probation at sentencing (conviction May 30, 2024; discharge Jan. 10, 2025) [1] [2] [3]. Separately, New York civil litigation found Trump liable for massive business‑fraud damages that a trial judge set at roughly $355 million (with interest) though that penalty was later reduced, stayed or reversed on appeal in subsequent rulings reported through 2025 [4] [5] [6].
1. The New York criminal conviction that made history
A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of first‑degree falsifying business records related to payments tied to Stormy Daniels; media and court reporting framed the verdict as the first felony conviction of a former U.S. president (May 30, 2024) [2] [1]. The criminal case culminated in sentencing events in early 2025: the presiding judge ultimately imposed an unconditional discharge — meaning no jail time, probation or fine — while leaving a criminal conviction on Trump’s record (Jan. 10, 2025) [3] [7].
2. Appeals, immunity fights and ongoing legal theater
Following the conviction, Trump’s team appealed and litigated immunity questions tied to presidential actions; courts weighed whether immunity decisions affected the conviction and the trial judge rejected motions to overturn the verdict as of late 2024 and early 2025, with appeals and preservation of the conviction continuing in the state appellate process [8] [1]. Coverage highlights competing legal interpretations: some courts recognized limited immunity for official acts, while other rulings left the New York conviction intact pending appeal [1] [9].
3. The large New York civil fraud finding and its shifting penalty
A separate civil suit by New York Attorney General Letitia James produced a finding that Trump and his companies committed business fraud; Judge Engoron ordered substantial monetary penalties and corporate remedies (trial judge imposed roughly $355 million, later described with interest as more than $500 million) [4] [10]. That judgment created immediate financial exposure but was subject to appeal; New York appellate judges later found the penalty excessive and tossed or reduced the nearly half‑billion dollar figure while affirming liability in key respects, illustrating how civil penalties can be substantial yet unstable on appeal [5] [6].
4. Guilty pleas and cooperation in the Georgia racketeering probe — but not Trump
In Georgia’s RICO‑style election probe, several co‑defendants pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate, receiving sentences that included probation, fines and other noncustodial terms; however, Trump himself pleaded not guilty and the case faced procedural upheaval when the Fulton County prosecutor was disqualified and the case was later dropped by a successor prosecutor [11] [12]. That sequence meant some liability findings and pleas occurred among associates, but available sources show the Georgia prosecution against Trump did not result in a conviction or imposed sentence on him [11] [12].
5. Civil awards beyond the fraud ruling — E. Jean Carroll and other judgments
Civil litigation has produced other notable liability findings: a jury awarded columnist E. Jean Carroll damages after finding Trump sexually abused and defamed her, a judgment Trump sought review of at the Supreme Court level; reporting shows Trump has challenged that $5 million judgment and pursued appeals and certiorari requests [13]. The broader civil docket also includes sanction awards and penalties: federal appeals courts have upheld sanctions — nearly $1 million — against Trump and his lawyer for a “frivolous” 2022 lawsuit targeting political opponents [14] [15].
6. What penalties actually netted out and what remains contested
Practically, the criminal conviction remains on record but produced no custodial sentence because of an unconditional discharge at sentencing [7] [3]. The largest civil money judgment (Engoron’s fraud penalty) established official liability and an initial large dollar measure, but appellate courts later curtailed or vacated the full monetary punishment even while affirming liability — leaving final financial exposure in flux as appeals proceeded [4] [5] [6]. Other civil judgements (Carroll) and sanctions (nearly $1M) survived into appeals, making the net financial and legal consequences a patchwork across cases [13] [15].
Limitations and context: reporting cited here covers through late 2025 and reflects contested, evolving litigation; many decisions have been appealed or re‑litigated and some penalties were stayed or reversed on appeal [5] [6]. Sources do not provide a single finalized tally of net money paid by Trump after all appeals (available sources do not mention a consolidated final amount).