The court’s 5-4 decision Thursday to deny the president-elect’s last-minute effort to delay sentencing in his New York hush money case set up a stunning moment in court on Friday morning, just 10 days before Trump will be sworn in for a second term.

Friday’s punishment was largely symbolic, but it ensured that Donald J. Trump would become America’s first felon president.

Here's what is means when a court grants an unconditional discharge, as happened with President-elect Donald Trump's hush money case Jan. 10.

President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in his historic hush money case to an unconditional discharge -- allowing Trump to avoid prison, fines or probation, but cementing his status as a convicted felon just 10 days before he takes the oath of office for his second term.

Judge Juan Merchan imposed an "unconditional discharge” that means Trump receives no prison time or probation. Trump continues to appeal conviction.

On Friday, a New York judge imposed a sentence that ensures Donald Trump will be the first convicted felon to enter the White House when he is sworn in as president on Jan. 20. It was a brief and relatively calm final encounter of Trump's relationship with Justice Juan Merchan over 21 months and featured accusations of political bias from the former and stern dressings-down from the latter.

The charges related to payments Trump’s company made to a lawyer, Michael Cohen, to reimburse him for paying off porn actor Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential campaign.