NY State Supreme Court Scraps Illegal Fine Against Trump

In this episode of Unwritten Law, hosts Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione sit down with NCLA's Greg Dolin to unpack the New York Appellate Division’s 323-page ruling in the civil fraud case against Donald Trump. They break down why calling a half-billion-dollar penalty “disgorgement” doesn’t fly without ill-gotten gains, how the Eighth Amendment’s Excessive Fines Clause comes into play, and why the Attorney General’s theory stretches New York fraud beyond traditional reliance and harm.

The discussion also covers the opinion’s treatment of attorney sanctions, what could happen on further appeal, and what this all means for due process, economic liberty, and doing business in New York—especially under the capacious terms of New York Executive Law § 63(12).