He was found guilty of 34 charges, what will happen to Donald Trump

2024-05-31 07:53:14, Kosova & Bota CNA

Donald Trump's guilty verdict for 34 criminal offenses marks the end of the historic criminal court process against the former President, but the battle for this matter continues.

Now is the time for sentencing and possible jail time. A long appeal process. And at the same time, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee must continue to deal with three more criminal cases and the election campaign, at the end of which there is a possibility that he will be back at the helm of the White House.

A jury in Manhattan found Mr Trump guilty of falsifying documents as part of a scheme to influence the 2016 election by concealing a payment to a pornographic actress who says she had an intimate relationship with the former President.

Mr. Trump told reporters that he was "innocent."

Some of the key elements to keep in mind after the jury verdict.

Donald Trump's guilty verdict for 34 criminal offenses marks the end of the historic criminal court process against the former President, but the battle for this matter continues.

- When is the penalty measure determined? The judge announced that he will pronounce the decision on July 11, just a few days before the Republicans will officially choose him as their presidential candidate.

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- Mr. Trump's right to vote: He can be convicted and live in Florida, but he can still vote, as long as he's not in prison in New York state.

- Will the conviction of Mr. Trump affect the presidential elections? It remains unclear whether his felony conviction will have an impact on voters.

PRISON?

The big question now is whether Mr. Trump can be jailed. The answer is not known. Judge Juan Merchan announced that he will pronounce the sentence on July 11, just a few days before the Republican National Convention, where Mr. Trump is expected to be officially announced as the candidate of the Republican Party for president.

The charge of falsifying business records is one of the lesser felonies in New York State. The offense is punishable by up to four years in prison, although the sentence is ultimately up to the judge and there is no guarantee that he can decide that Mr. Trump should stay behind bars.

He was found guilty of 34 charges, what will happen to Donald Trump

Other punishment measures may include a fine or a suspended sentence. There is also the possibility that the judge will allow Mr. Trump to serve no sentence until the entire process of appealing the decision has been completed.

The conviction does not stop Mr. Trump from continuing his campaign. The wife of former President Trump's son, Lara Trump, who is co-chair of the Republican National Committee, said in an interview on Fox News on Thursday that if Mr. Trump is convicted and if he is sentenced to house arrest, he would virtually electoral rallies and other meetings within the campaign.

POSSIBILITIES FOR APPEAL OF THE DECISION

Once Mr. Trump is convicted, he can challenge the conviction in an appeals court and possibly the New York high court. Trump's lawyers have already laid the groundwork for an appeal, contesting the charges and rulings during the criminal trial.

Mr. Trump's lawyers have accused Judge Juan Manuel Merchan of bias, citing the fact that his daughter runs a company whose clients have included President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats. The judge rejected the defense's request to withdraw from the case, saying he was confident in his "ability to be fair and impartial."

He was found guilty of 34 charges, what will happen to Donald Trump

Lawyers can appeal a judge's decision to limit an expert's testimony.

Mr. Trump's lawyers wanted to call to testify Bradley A. Smith, a law professor whom former President Bill Clinton appointed to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The defense aimed to disprove the prosecution's claim that the payments were made in violation of campaign finance laws.

But in the end, the defense did not call him to testify after Judge Merchan ruled that Mr. Smith could provide information about the Federal Election Commission, but he is not allowed to interpret how campaign finance laws relate to the facts. of the judicial process against Mr. Trump, or to give any opinion, whether or not the actions of which the former president is accused may have violated these laws.

The defense may also argue that jurors were improperly allowed to hear testimony from porn actress Stormy Daniels about Mr. Trump's alleged intimate relationship with her in 2006./ VOA