Donald Trump Convicted On All 34 Counts At The Hush Money Trial

The New York jury found Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of making false business entries ended the former president’s weeks-long trial on Thursday, yet introduced another chapter of this historic case.

The jury shared a verdict in the landmark hush money trial after 9 ½ hours of closing room deliberations which started on Wednesday, said media sources.

Now in the unique circumstance of being the first former US president charged with a felony, Trump is already a convicted person and might face imprisonment or probation for the crimes he committed that involved a hush-money case he had contributed to organizing before the 2016 presidential election.

What Was Trump Convicted For?

Former President of the United States of America, Donald Trump has been charged with fraud for submitting false records with a view of concealing details of an illicit payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.

After seven weeks of a long trial, shortly after 5 pm local time on Thursday i.e, 30 May 2024, a jury in New York City unanimously declared him guilty of all 34 first-degree felony counts of fabricating company records.

As per news sources, Daniels disclosed that he paid her $130,000 to keep quiet about an affair they had ten years ago, ahead of the 2016 election that Trump ultimately won. Trump denies the affair. Michael Cohen; the attorney for Trump, confirmed in court that he carried out the payment at Trump’s direction. Cohen maintains that Trump used the funds raised for his election campaign to reimburse him.

The 34 allegations concern the various ways in which Trump documented these hush money payments as legal expenses on his records; these categories, the court claimed, included:

• Eleven legal service invoices
• Eleven cheques were paid for legal services
• Twelve legal expense ledger entries

When Will Trump Be Sentenced?

Regarding the sentencing of Trump, Judge Juan Merchan has fixed it on July 11, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. E.T. For now, the former president will continue being out of prison as he awaits the announcement of his verdicts. The prosecutors did not seek to ask Trump to place any bond.

Can Trump Appeal The Conviction?

Trump’s defense attorney, Todd Blanche, requested Judge Merchan to overturn the guilty decision. However, Merchan quickly turned down the standard, pro forma request.

So far, Trump and his lawyers can appeal against the conviction to a New York appellate court and the Court of Appeals if necessary. According to media sources, his legal team is preparing the ground for various legal defenses.

Can Trump Still Be Elected President?

According to the University of California, Los Angeles law professor Richard L. Hasen, “no provision within the US Constitution prevents a convicted criminal from running for the presidency.”

“The Constitution imposes very few requisites for candidature like a person must be thirty-five years being natural-born citizens of the United States and having been inhabitants for 14 years of the United States,” Hasen elaborates.

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Will This Conviction Hinder Trump’s Right To Vote?

Trump is a Florida citizen. As for the guilty verdict just delivered in Manhattan, Trump’s right to vote shall be governed by whether or not he has been imprisoned by November elections as well as when he finishes his prison term if at all he is jailed.

“Thus, the Voting Commission also prohibits felons from voting if they have out-of-state convictions. However, if a Floridian’s conviction is out of state, Florida defers to that state’s laws for how a felon can regain their voting rights.” says media sources.

How Did Trump React?

As the jury was polled to affirm the guilty judgment, Trump watched them with disgrace.

Lastly, Trump and his legal team left the court and claimed that this conviction was master planned by Biden’s administration.

“Right now I feel our whole country is rigged,” he said to the journalists when he came out of the court.

“This was a disgrace. They found me guilty based on a trial staged by a biased judge who was a masterpiece of corruption,” Mr Trump complained to reporters later on.

As expected, Trump – who challenges every single court decision against him – is also expected to appeal against this conviction. This will further prolong the procedure of his sentencing scheduled for July 11, 2024.