Donald Trump was convicted of civil fraud in New York in February 2024. He was ordered to pay over $450 million dollars (penalties were added). Obviously, he appealed, and today the Appeals Court threw out the judgment.

All five judges agreed the penalty was excessive. Two of the judges felt he was correctly held liable for business fraud, two felt the court was wrong for finding he committed fraud and thought the case should be retried, while the fifth judge felt he should never have been tried in the first place. Talk about a super split decision.

The opinion said: "The documentary evidence supports Supreme Court's conclusion that the Attorney General made a prima facie showing that each defendant participated in the fraudulent scheme. The trial record is also replete with evidence supporting the court's determination that the individual defendants had the requisite intent to defraud, a necessary element of each Penal Law claim."

However, they added "while harm certainly occurred, it was not the cataclysmic harm that can justify a nearly half billion-dollar award to the State."

New York Attorney General Leticia James said that her case "has merit" and that she will appeal to the state's highest court in an effort to reinstate the penalty.

Her statement said: "The First Department today affirmed the well-supported finding of the trial court: Donald Trump, his company, and two of his children are liable for fraud. The court upheld the injunctive relief we won, limiting Donald Trump and the Trump Organization officers' ability to do business in New York. We will seek appeal to the Court of Appeals and continue to protect the rights and interests of New Yorkers."

Trump and his right wing media mouthpieces have always claimed this case a political witch hunt. Although by no means absolved of his crime, the lack of penalty (which he would never have paid anyways) is a win for him...albeit possibly a temporary one.

This case will be appealed, so there will be updates to come!