If you’ve been following the news over the last couple of years, your head is probably spinning. Between the headlines about "hush money," the Supreme Court’s massive immunity ruling, and the 2024 election, the actual legal status of Donald Trump often gets buried under a mountain of partisan shouting.
So, let's get the big question out of the way immediately. Yes, Donald Trump has been convicted of a felony. In fact, he was convicted of 34 of them.
But honestly, the story doesn't end with a simple "yes." Since that verdict came down in a crowded Manhattan courtroom, a series of unprecedented legal maneuvers has fundamentally changed what that conviction actually means for him—and for the country. It is a wild, messy, and historic situation that even legal scholars are still trying to map out.
The Verdict: 34 Felony Counts in Manhattan
Back in May 2024, a jury of 12 New Yorkers did something that had never happened in American history. They found a former president guilty of criminal charges.
Specifically, Trump was convicted on 34 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree. This is a Class E felony in New York. While that sounds like a lot of individual crimes, they all stemmed from a single, complex effort to influence the 2016 election.
The case, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, centered on a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The jury agreed with prosecutors that Trump didn't just pay for silence; he authorized his then-attorney, Michael Cohen, to facilitate the payment and then disguised the reimbursements as "legal expenses" in the Trump Organization's books.
Because the jury found these records were falsified to hide another crime—an illegal conspiracy to influence an election—the charges were bumped up from misdemeanors to felonies.
The Counts at a Glance
- 11 Invoices: Falsely entered into the system.
- 11 Checks: Signed to reimburse Michael Cohen.
- 12 Ledger Entries: Created to mask the true nature of the payments.
The Sentence: Why He’s Not in Jail
You might be wondering: if he’s a convicted felon, why isn't he behind bars? This is where things get "only-in-America" complicated.
After several delays—partly due to the 2024 election and partly because of a landmark Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity—Judge Juan Merchan finally handed down a sentence on January 10, 2025.
He sentenced Donald Trump to an unconditional discharge.
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Basically, this means the conviction stays on his record, but there is no jail time, no probation, and no fine. Merchan noted the "unique and remarkable set of circumstances," specifically that Trump was the President-elect at the time of sentencing. Putting a sitting (or about-to-be-sitting) president in a New York jail cell would have triggered a constitutional crisis that no one wanted to touch.
So, he has the felony record, but he walked out of the courtroom a free man, heading straight back to the Oval Office.
The Immunity "Wildcard" and the Appeals Process
The conviction isn't "settled" in the way a normal case would be. Trump’s legal team has been fighting a multi-front war to get the whole thing tossed out.
The biggest weapon in their arsenal is the July 1, 2024, Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. United States. The Court ruled that presidents have broad immunity for "official acts."
Now, the hush money payments happened before he was president. Those are clearly private acts. However, Trump’s lawyers argue that the prosecution used evidence from his first term—like tweets he sent and meetings he had in the White House—to prove their case. According to the Supreme Court, "official acts" evidence shouldn't be used to convict a president even for private crimes.
As of early 2026, this is still being fought over in the appeals courts.
- The State Appeal: His lawyers filed a massive 96-page appeal in late 2025 to New York’s intermediate appeals court.
- The Federal Move: They are also trying to move the whole case to federal court, hoping a federal judge will see things their way and vacate the conviction.
If they succeed, the 34 felony counts could vanish. If they fail, Trump remains a convicted felon for the rest of his life.
What a Felony Conviction Actually Changes
Being a "convicted felon" sounds like it should change everything, but for a President, the impact is surprisingly narrow.
- Voting: Despite the conviction, Trump can still vote. Since he's a resident of Florida, Florida law applies. Florida generally follows the rules of the state where the conviction happened. New York allows felons to vote as long as they aren't currently incarcerated. Since he’s not in jail, he’s a legal voter.
- Guns: This is a big one. Federal law generally prohibits felons from possessing firearms.
- Travel: Some countries have strict rules about admitting people with felony records. However, when you’re the President of the United States traveling on a diplomatic passport with Air Force One, those rules tend to be ignored.
- Holding Office: The U.S. Constitution only has three requirements for being President: be a natural-born citizen, be at least 35, and have lived in the U.S. for 14 years. It says nothing about a criminal record.
The "Other" Cases: Where Are They Now?
When people ask "Has Donald Trump been convicted of a felony?" they are usually thinking of the New York case. But there were three other major indictments. Here is the status of those as of 2026:
- The Federal Election Interference Case (D.C.): Dismissed. Following Trump’s 2024 victory, the Department of Justice dropped the case because of its long-standing policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
- The Classified Documents Case (Florida): Dismissed. Judge Aileen Cannon originally threw this out, arguing the Special Counsel’s appointment was unconstitutional. After the 2024 election, the government ended its appeal.
- The Georgia Racketeering Case: Dropped. After a long delay involving the disqualification of the original prosecutor, the new prosecutor dropped all charges in late 2025.
Basically, the New York hush money case is the only one that actually made it to a jury and resulted in a conviction.
What You Should Watch For Next
The legal saga of Donald Trump is far from over. If you're looking for the "actionable" part of this story, it’s all about the appellate courts.
Keep an eye on the New York Appellate Division, First Department. They are currently reviewing the 96-page appeal. Their decision will determine if the "convicted felon" label sticks or if the 2024 trial was a historic footnote that ultimately gets erased.
For now, the record reflects 34 counts. Whether that remains the case in six months is anyone's guess.
To stay informed, you should check the New York State Unified Court System's public filings or follow neutral legal analysts like those at SCOTUSblog who track how the Supreme Court's immunity ruling is being applied to these lower court cases. Understanding the distinction between a "conviction" and a "final judgment after appeal" is the key to not getting lost in the headlines.