Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, revealed that he had to check ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot, to understand more about the president-elect’s “unconditional discharge” sentence in his New York “hush money” conviction.”In my entire legal career, I’ve never even heard of an unconditional discharge. I was so confused about it, I actually went to ChatGPT,” Cohen, who was also a key witness in the case against his former boss, told MSNBC in a Friday evening interview.Newsweek reached out to Trump’s transition team via email for comment on Saturday morning.Why It MattersTrump’s sentencing is unprecedented in American history. The then-former president was convicted in May 2024 by a New York jury for falsifying business records linked to hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, intended to suppress allegations of an affair ahead of the 2016 election. Trump has denied the allegations and claims the case is politically motivated.While an unconditional discharge spares Trump from additional legal penalties, it does not erase the felony convictions from his record.What To KnowTrump was sentenced in his New York hush money case on Friday, marking the conclusion of a historic trial that found him guilty of 34 felony counts. Trump, the first former U.S. president to be convicted and sentenced for a crime, received an unconditional discharge from Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan. The decision means Trump will not face prison time, fines, or community service, but the felony convictions will remain on his record.Unconditional discharge is a rare legal outcome where a convicted individual faces no further penalties beyond the conviction itself. It is typically granted in minor cases or when judges determine that imposing a sentence is unnecessary. In this instance, Judge Merchan justified the ruling by citing the “extraordinary” legal protections afforded to a sitting president and the need to ensure governance remains uninterrupted.Cohen, a critic of Trump’s, explained on Friday that he couldn’t find a previous instance of unconditional discharge being given as a sentence in a ChatGPT search.”I looked it up and I was unable to find anybody in history who’s ever gotten an unconditional judicial discharge,” Trump’s former lawyer said.He added: “Now I think that Judge Merchan was judicious in his decision and also—I think the decision was appropriate.”Cohen also noted that he previously received a six-year sentence, which included three years of incarceration and three years of supervised release, related to his role in the case. The former Trump lawyer was the go-between, passing the payments to Daniels on his then boss’ behalf. These were recorded as “legal expenses” to Cohen.
President-elect Donald Trump is seen on January 7 in Palm Beach, Florida. Michael Cohen joins Democratic Party supporters at their convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22. Cohen told MSNBC on Friday that he…
President-elect Donald Trump is seen on January 7 in Palm Beach, Florida. Michael Cohen joins Democratic Party supporters at their convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22. Cohen told MSNBC on Friday that he used ChatGPT to look up information related to Trump’s sentence in New York on Friday.
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What People Are SayingManhattan Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass acknowledged that Trump’s behavior and the damage to public trust in the legal system would typically warrant a harsher sentence. However, he explained, “The American public has the right to a presidency unencumbered by pending legal matters… imposing this sentence ensures that.”Joyce Vance, a former U.S. attorney and legal analyst, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday: “Earlier this week I wrote that at this point, ensuring the finality of Trump’s conviction was more important than his sentence… this court has done its best to stand for the rule of law.”Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche said in court Friday that the case should never have been brought forward: “I very, very much disagree with much of what the government just said about this case, about the legitimacy of what happened in this courtroom during this trial, and about President Trump’s conduct fighting this case.”President-elect Donald Trump responded to the sentencing on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday: “After spending tens of millions of dollars, wasting over 6 years of obsessive work that should have been spent on protecting New Yorkers from violent, rampant crime that is destroying the City and State, coordinating with the Biden/Harris Department of Injustice in lawless Weaponization, and bringing completely baseless, illegal, and fake charges against your 45th and 47th President, ME, I was given an UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE. That result alone proves that, as all Legal Scholars and Experts have said, THERE IS NO CASE, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE, and this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED.”What Happens NextDespite the lenient sentence, Trump has vowed to appeal the conviction, calling the trial a “political witch hunt” and the sentencing a “despicable charade” on Truth Social. His legal team has 30 days to file a notice of appeal, which could extend the legal battle for years. Meanwhile, as president-elect, Trump is preparing to take office on January 20, making him the first convicted felon to assume the presidency.
