Unlike the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump, which lasted seven dramatic weeks, his verdict on Friday was brief.

A day after Mr. Trump sat with other former presidents at Jimmy Carter’s funeral, he appeared in court via a video screen in front of two American flags. About thirty minutes later, he was officially classified as a felon.

The president-elect was convicted in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a plan to cover up a sexual encounter with a porn star, a salacious story that threatened to derail his 2016 presidential campaign.

Here are five takeaways from Mr. Trump’s conviction:

Dramatic trial, restrained punishment.

Mr. Trump’s trial, which culminated in a guilty verdict in May, was a dramatic affair with intimate details of a scandal, tearful testimony from a former adviser and ruthless cross-examinations, including against Mr. Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen.

But Friday’s sentencing was largely symbolic and predictable. Mr. Trump received an unconditional discharge, a rare sentence in New York courts that does not subject him to prison time or other conditions.

While the events were not surprising, they were unprecedented: Mr. Trump will be the first felon to occupy the Oval Office when he is sworn in in 10 days.

The election was seen as a trump card.

Joshua Steinglass, a prosecutor with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, said he recommended only unconditional dismissal because of Mr. Trump’s status as president-elect.

“The defendant considers himself above the law and accepts no responsibility for his actions,” Mr. Steinglass said, citing a presentation report that would normally be significant.

Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, was staid, a stark contrast to the showmanship he displayed during the trial. Mr Blanche – who was appointed deputy attorney general – took aim at the very existence of the trial, arguing that the jury’s verdict “assumes that the case is legally appropriate”.

“The majority of the American people also agree that this case should not have been brought,” Blanche said, referring to Mr. Trump’s election victory.

Trump remained defiant until the end.

Mr. Trump’s frustration with the impeachment was clearly visible on Friday. He shook his head as the court reiterated his conviction and folded his arms defiantly as Mr Steinglass spoke of his “contempt” for the rule of law.

Mr. Trump then addressed the court for just over six minutes, protesting his innocence and claiming that he was being targeted by political opponents and that the Justice Department was somehow pushing the case. He also took a final swipe at Mr. Cohen – the prosecutor’s star witness – whom he called “a completely discredited person.”

“It was an injustice of justice,” Mr. Trump said before his official sentencing, adding. “I was treated very, very unfairly.”

Judge Merchan had the final say.

There was a lot Judge Merchan could have said.

During the seven-week trial, the judge was accused by Mr. Trump of being “biased” and “corrupt.” Mr. Trump violated a gag order, resulting in a $10,000 fine. The judge’s daughter, a Democratic political adviser, received a variety of threats after Mr. Trump complained about her.

Instead, Judge Merchan used his final address to Mr. Trump to justify his punishment. He called an unconditional discharge the “only lawful punishment” he could impose and distinguished Mr. Trump as an individual from Mr. Trump as the president-elect. The president’s office protected him, Judge Merchan said.

As Judge Merchan left the bench, the judge wished the future president “good luck.”

It’s not over yet.

Mr. Trump had already filed motions challenging the case in a number of courts and initiated a civil lawsuit against Judge Merchan.

But now that he has been convicted, he can file a formal appeal challenging the merits of the prosecutor’s case and the judge’s rulings.

The process could take months or years and will last well into his second term.