Judge Juan M Merchan set sentencing for July 11, just days before Republicans are set to formally nominate Donald Trump for president. The charge of falsifying business records is a Class E felony in New York, the lowest tier of felony charges in the state.
Donald Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts marks the end of the former president's historic hush money trial but the fight over the case is far from over. Now comes the sentencing and the prospect of a prison sentence. A lengthy appellate process. And all the while, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee still has to deal with three more criminal cases and a campaign that could see him return to the White House.
The Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records after more than nine hours of deliberations over two days in the case stemming from a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump angrily denounced the trial as a "disgrace", telling reporters he's an "innocent man".
Will Donald Trump go to prison?
The answer is uncertain. Judge Juan M Merchan set sentencing for July 11, just days before Republicans are set to formally nominate him for president. The charge of falsifying business records is a Class E felony in New York, the lowest tier of felony charges in the state. It is punishable by up to four years in prison, though the punishment would ultimately be up to the judge and there's no guarantee he would give Trump time bars.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to say whether prosecutors would seek prison time. It's unclear to what extent the judge may factor in the political and logistical complexities of jailing a former president who is running to reclaim the White House. Other punishments could include a fine or probation. And it's possible the judge would allow Trump to avoid serving any punishment until after he exhausts his appeals. Trump faces the threat of more serious prison time in the three other cases he's facing, but those cases have gotten bogged down by appeals and other legal fights so unclear whether any of them will go to trial before the November election.
How will it impact the US elections?
The conviction doesn't bar Trump from continuing his campaign or becoming president and he can still vote for himself in his home state of Florida as long as he stays out of prison in New York state. 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 that Trump would do virtual rallies and campaign events if he's convicted and sentenced to home confinement. In a deeply divided America, it's unclear whether Trump's once-unimaginable criminal conviction will have any impact at all on the election.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)
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