Donald Trump was found guilty in a hush money trial by a New York court on Thursday, with a judge now set to determine whether the former president will be imprisoned over the conviction.
Trump was found guilty by the jury on 34 felony counts for falsifying business records and covering up a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
But whether the former president will be sent to prison is still to be decided. Trump will be sentenced on July 11, and will not be considered a convicted felon until then.
The verdict will also not prevent Trump from running for president, with the former President free to travel, campaign and speak to the press until his sentencing.
Trump’s sentencing will also happen just four days before the Republican National Convention, where he is widely expected to be nominated to run against incumbent President Joe Biden in November.
Potential sentences include prison time
Trump’s sentencing will be largely decided by Judge Juan Merchan.
Under New York law, each charge against Trump carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
The charges against the former president are Class E felonies, which are considered as the least serious class of felonies in the state.
Trump’s sentencing is likely to include fines and restitutions, and probation. But whether he will face prison time remains to be seen, given his advanced age, as well as the complications associated with imprisoning a former President- a scenario that no U.S. prison has ever faced before.
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Also complicating matters is the lifetime protection from the Secret Service that is offered to Trump, as a former president. Judge Merchan was seen repeatedly indicating that he did not want to jail Trump, citing complications linked to maintaining Trump’s Secret Service protection in prison.
If the former President were to face jail time, he could either serve it in a New York penal facility, or a correctional facility such as Rikers Island.
But if Trump were to be sentenced to probation or home detention, he would likely carry out the sentence at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
