A U.S. judge ruled on Friday that President-elect Donald Trump will not face jail time or other penalties despite his criminal conviction related to hush money payments made to a porn star.

The decision ensures that the January 20 inauguration will proceed as planned, but the conviction will remain on Trump's record.

Justice Juan Merchan sentenced Trump, 78, to an unconditional discharge, marking him as guilty while officially closing the case that had overshadowed his bid to return to the White House. This makes Trump the first president to assume office with a felony conviction.

Merchan explained that while the U.S. Constitution grants sitting presidents significant legal protections, they neither diminish the gravity of a crime nor justify it.

“The exceptional legal safeguards afforded to the presidency outweigh other considerations,” Merchan stated. “However, these protections do not erase the findings of a jury.”

Trump, who pleaded not guilty and plans to appeal the verdict, appeared remotely during sentencing. Speaking against a backdrop of two American flags, he described the case as a politically motivated effort to derail his campaign.

“This has been a horrible ordeal,” Trump said, dressed in a red tie with white stripes. “I am completely innocent and have done nothing wrong.”