Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, each of which carries a sentence of up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Former President Donald Trump was found guilty on all counts in his Manhattan hush money trial, marking the end of the first criminal trial of a former president as well as the first to end in a conviction.
Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, each of which carries a sentence of up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine. If sentenced to jail time, it would be expected the judge would have Trump serve all time concurrently.
When will Trump be sentenced?
With such an unprecedented situation, it’s unclear exactly what will happen next, but the next step will be sentencing, which Merchan will deliver July 11 at 10 a.m. The Republican National Convention, where Trump will become the Republican nominee, will take place four days later in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Can Trump still run for president after being found guilty?
Yes. The only requirements for someone running for president are that they must be 35 years of age, a natural-born citizen, and have been a resident of the U.S. for the last 14 years.
However, whether he can vote for himself will depend on his sentencing. Trump is a Florida resident, and state law as of 2018 says felons who have been sentenced to prison can vote, but Republican lawmakers qualified that referendum, making it mandatory for a felon to pay all fines and fees in full before being allowed to register to vote.
What happens if Trump goes to prison?
The Secret Service has been in talks with New York officials, according to CBS News. As a former president, Trump is entitled to Secret Service protections for the rest of his life. If put behind bars, correction officers would in turn be responsible for protecting the Secret Service agents.
Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the case and is responsible for sentencing, said he was worried about the people who would be responsible for a former president’s safety in prison and called incarceration “truly a last resort for me.”
“I also worried about the people who would have to execute that sanction: the court officers, the correction officers, the Secret Service detail, among others,” Merchan said.
Some believe the tough nature of New York courts could lead to a prison sentence, even if short.
“I think, knowing most judges in New York, they’re going to want to show that no one is above the law, and therefore, he would likely sentence him to a term of incarceration,” former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Stuart Meissner said. “I don’t think much, but I think it would be included just to show that point.”
What prison would Trump go to?
In the case Trump is sentenced to prison time, the prison Trump would be sent to remains unknown. CBS News predicted he would do time at Rikers Island because it has two wings that are reserved for high-profile inmates.