slap on the wrist

Trump could leave a sentencing hearing with the legal equivalent of a slap on the wrist.

Now, in the wake of his electoral win, experts told Salon that Trump's federal cases are essentially dead, and his Georgia trial will likely follow suit while his sentencing in New York is unlikely to amount to little more than a financial slap on the wrist.

“At some point, the public gets frustrated when you bring the cases, and the cops walk away, or they walk away with a slap on the wrist.”

Hannah says she thinks it was a slap on the wrist designed to serve as a warning to other students.

Generally, landlords or agents breaking the rules can be fined, but Mr Dignam says it is more likely they only get "a slap on the wrist".