Former President Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsified business records — and he faces sentencing in July.
New York Judge Juan Merchan scheduled the sentencing hearing for July 11, just days before Trump is expected to be selected as the Republican Party presidential nominee in Milwaukee, Wis. The verdict, handed down Thursday by a 12-person jury, marked the first time in U.S. history that a former or sitting president was convicted of crimes.
“I did my job. We did our job,” said District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Thursday night after the verdict. “Many voices out there. The only voice that matters is the voice of the jury, and the jury has spoken.”
On Friday morning, Trump addressed the guilty verdict in remarks at Trump Tower in Manhattan.
“The only way they can win an election is by doing what they are doing now,” Trump said, echoing his unsubstantiated claim that the trial was politically motivated.
Here’s what will happen now that the trial is over:
1. What happens between now and sentencing?
Trump will remain out of prison until his sentencing hearing; prosecutors did not ask him to post a bond. But both parties, the prosecutors and the defense, have until June 13 to file pre-sentencing motions, which are memos detailing what they think the punishment should be. Trump will also meet with a probation officer for a pre-sentencing report.
Merchan, who has been presiding over the trial, will ultimately decide on a sentence in July.
While prison time is a potential punishment, several legal experts say imprisonment is unlikely for Trump given that this is his first criminal offense and a nonviolent crime.
2. Will Trump appeal?
Trump said Friday he plans to appeal. Trump’s legal team has appealed every previous court decision that went against the former president.
In remarks at Trump Tower, Trump lamented that his defense team did not bring up a Federal Elections Commission expert to testify. While Merchan did not prohibit the testimony — as Trump alleged — he did limit what the expert could testify to, excluding whether or not Trump broke the law. The Trump team ultimately chose to not call him.
Any Trump appeal will have to wait until after the sentencing hearing.
3. What happens to the jury?
There are no protections for the jurors now that the verdict is out and they are free to speak about the trial should they choose to. After the verdict was delivered, the jurors were taken away in dark vans to a meeting point. None spoke with reporters immediately after the verdict.
Keeping the jury safe was a critical point throughout this whole trial. The jury was kept anonymous with only the lawyers knowing their names.
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