The jury has reached a verdict in the “secret room” case of former US President and Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, which has been ongoing for six weeks.
The 12-judge jury, seven of whom were men, found Trump guilty of all 34 separate charges in the “hush money” case.
A first in US history
Thus, for the first time in U.S. history, a former president who appeared before a judge on charges against him was convicted.
Following the jury’s decision, President Trump issued a short statement to the media, saying, “The decision that has been made is shameful and I am innocent. The true decision will be made clear in the presidential election on November 5th. We will continue to fight to the end.”
President Trump claimed the country had gone to hell, reiterated that the lawsuit was brought by a political opponent, and said, “Our country is in big trouble, this is a rigged decision, and this judge should never have been allowed to sit in on this trial,” he said.
Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the case, set a date of July 11, 2024 for Trump to be sentenced after the jury reaches a verdict.
Biden’s statement
“The only way we can keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office is at the ballot box,” President Joe Biden said on social media.
Trump’s “Hush Pay” Scandal
U.S. President Donald Trump was indicted by a grand jury on March 18, 2023, as part of an investigation conducted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office into illegal “hush money” payments to Stormy Daniels, an actress who appeared in adult films, during the 2016 presidential election.
Trump appeared before a judge in New York on charges of “hush money” and related record fraud on April 4, 2023. President Trump has rejected the 34 separate charges against him, describing the allegations against him as a “political witch hunt” and saying he views the accusations as “election interference.”
Trump is recorded as “the first former president in American history to appear before a judge on charges against him.”
What happens next?
The first trial before President Trump, who was found guilty by a jury today, will be a hearing on July 11th where a guilty verdict will be entered.
Judge Juan Juan Merchan could sentence Trump to one to four years in prison, but experts stress that the drug offense for which Trump was convicted was a Class E misdemeanor under New York state law and no prison time is necessary in this case.
Trump therefore faces a very small prison sentence or other penalties, including fines, restitution, probation and other conditions, or he may not go to prison at all.
If Trump is sentenced to prison, he is sure to appeal the sentence.
In this case, a months-long appeals process would begin, meaning Trump would be able to assume office as president if he wins the election.
Would a conviction of Trump affect his presidential candidacy?
According to constitutional experts and lawyers involved in the issue, if Trump is found guilty in court and his conviction is announced on July 11, he could run in the presidential election on November 5 and become president of the United States again if he wins.
Experts say that even if Trump is convicted on July 11, there will be no obstacle to him running for office and becoming president if he wins.
How will this decision affect the presidential election?
Although it does not legally prevent him from running for election, there is debate as to whether the possibility of being “convicted” and receiving a prison sentence is advantageous or disadvantageous to President Trump.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll of registered voters conducted in April found that one in four Republicans said they would not vote for Trump if he was convicted of a criminal offense.
The same poll found that 60% of independents said they would not vote if Trump was convicted.
Meanwhile, a sizable portion of Trump’s Republican base believes the trial was “rigged” by Democrats, and polls suggest that these Republican voters will likely support Trump to some extent.
