NEW YORK CITY - Donald Trump was found guilty on Thursday on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records by a New York jury. As the historic weeks-long court case comes to a close and Trump becomes the first U.S. president to be criminally convicted, voters are asking themselves, what comes next?
From sentencing and the potential prison sentence to a lengthy appellate process and the prospect of even more trials, Donald Trump finds himself in a unique and unprecedented situation— he has to face this process while also being the presumptive GOP nominee ahead of the November presidential elections.
Here are some key takeaways from Trump's historic hush money trial.
What was he found guilty on?
The Manhattan jury— composed of 12 New Yorkers— found that Trump had faked records to conceal the purpose of money given to his then fixer, Michael D. Cohen. The false records disguised the payments as ordinary legal expenses when in truth, Trump was reimbursing Cohen for a $130,000 hush-money deal he struck with the porn star Stormy Daniels to silence her sexual encounters with the former president.
When will he receive sentencing and what can he be facing?
Following Trump's conviction Thursday afternoon, Judge Juan Merchan set his sentencing for 10 a.m. ET on July 11, just days before the GOP is scheduled to formally nominate him for president.
But the big question remains, will he ever see the inside of a prison cell? The answer is complicated.
The ultimate sentencing is up to Judge Merchan, but falsifying business records in New York is a Class E felony, the lowest tier of felony charges in the state, punishable by up to four years in prison. But even then, there's no guarantee he would spend time behind bars, as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to say whether prosecutors would seek prison time.
Alternatively, Trump could also receive probation. Experts believe it is certain he will appeal the verdict, meaning that it can take years before the case is fully resolved.
Regardless of the July sentencing, Trump faces the threat of more serious prison time in the three other cases he's facing, The Associated Press reported. But those trials have been mounted by appeals and other legal fights, so it remains unclear whether any of them will take place before the November elections.
What about the elections?
To address the elephant in the room— yes, Trump can still be President.
The Constitution does not prevent a felon from running for President or serving in the White House. If he is convicted and sentenced to home confinement, the presumptive GOP nominee would do virtual rallies and campaign events, Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who serves as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, said in a Fox News Channel interview on Thursday.
It remains unclear how voters will react to the conviction as they head to the polls in November. But Trump is expected to use the trial to his advantage, painting himself as the victim of a Democratic cabal.
Will Trump be able to vote?
Florida's felon voting prohibitions apply to people with out-of-state convictions. However, if a Floridian's conviction is out of state, Florida defers to that state's law for how felons can regain their voting rights.
When it comes to the Manhattan guilty verdant, Trump's right to vote will depend on whether he is sentenced to a term in prison and if he has finished serving that prison sentence by the time of the election.
How did people react to the verdict?
Demonstrators outside the courthouse raised a large "Trump Convicted" sign, while others pumped their fists, according to The New York Times. Biden's campaign urged supporters not to sit idle, saying on social media that the only way to keep Trump out of the White House was by voting.
On the other hand, Trump's campaign emailed out a fund-raising appeal calling him a "political prisoner." His team later said it raised a record $34.8 million from small-dollar donors in the hours after the verdict.
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