On Thursday, around 4:15 PM, a New York court found former President Donald Trump guilty of falsifying business records. The charges related to hush money payments made during his 2016 campaign to conceal an alleged sexual encounter that could have been politically damaging. The high-profile trial put the US justice system under scrutiny and resulted in the historic conviction of a former president on criminal charges. Trump, who once held the nation’s highest office, now has a felony record.
The 12-member jury deliberated for nearly 10 hours before reaching their verdict in the case. Prosecutors had argued that Trump’s conduct amounted to deceiving the American public.
After the verdict, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg did not disclose whether his office would request a prison sentence for Trump. The falsifying business records charges carry a maximum potential sentence of up to four years in prison. However, Trump could also receive a probation sentence, which would allow him to avoid incarceration. Trump’s legal team is expected to appeal the conviction, a process that could take months to resolve while he remains free on release. This permits Trump to continue campaigning for the 2024 presidential election as the appeals process plays out.
Judge Juan Merchan set Trump’s sentencing for July 11, which falls between the first scheduled presidential debate against the incumbent Joe Biden and the Republican National Convention, where Trump is anticipated to receive the party’s official nomination for president.
Trump told reporters outside the courtroom moments after his verdict had been delivered by the jury: “This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt as a rigged trial and disgrace. They wouldn’t give us a venue change. We were at 5% or 6% in this district, in this area. This was a rigged, disgraceful trial.”
Trump added, “The real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people. And they know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here. You have a Soros-backed DA and the whole thing.”
He insisted, “We didn’t do anything wrong. I’m a very innocent man. And it’s okay. I’m fighting for our country. I’m fighting for our Constitution. Our whole country is being rigged right now.”
A person close to Trump told The Washington Post the conviction could motivate Trump further in his presidential campaign efforts. Some of Trump’s advisers have suggested the trial outcome may galvanize his base of ardent supporters.
Pundit Mark Levin tweeted, “Let’s see. No crime. No jurisdiction. No due process. Conflicted corrupt Democrat acting judge. Soros Marxist prosecutor. Manhattan Democrat jury. The fix was always in. Rogue. Tyrannical. Corrupt. Biden. Dictator.”
An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll released ahead of the verdict on Thursday found that 66% of registered voters nationwide said a guilty verdict against Trump in this trial would not impact their vote in the upcoming presidential election. The poll indicated that 17% stated a conviction would make them less likely to support Trump, while 15% said they would be more likely to vote for the former president if convicted.
The legal proceedings now shift focus to President Biden’s family. Next week, the president’s son Hunter Biden is scheduled to stand trial in Wilmington, Delaware on federal charges related to a gun possession case. The timing of this trial, coming just days after the conclusion of the Trump case, allows Republican critics an opening to draw parallels between the two legal matters involving the president and former president’s families.
