A New York judge Friday upheld President-elect Donald TrumpтАЩs criminal conviction but signaled that he was inclined to spare him any punishment, a striking development in a case that had spotlighted an array of embarrassing misdeeds and imperiled the former and future presidentтАЩs freedom.
The judge, Juan M. Merchan, indicated that he favored a so-called unconditional discharge of TrumpтАЩs sentence, a rare and lenient alternative to jail or probation. He set a sentencing date of Jan. 10, and ordered Trump to appear either in person or virtually.
An unconditional discharge would cement TrumpтАЩs status as a felon just weeks before his inauguration тАФ he would be the first to carry that dubious designation into the presidency тАФ even as it would water down the consequences for his crimes.
