Donald Trump Hush Money Trial: A New York Court on Thursday found former United States President Donald Trump guilty of 34 felonies in hush money trial. Following the jury's verdict, Trump became the first US president to have been convicted of a crime.
The jury found the former US President guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 US election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex, as reported by news agency AP.
The New York jury reached its verdict in the case after deliberations lasting over 9 hours, which began on Wednesday. He'll be sentenced on July 11.
According to NBC News, Trump faces penalties ranging from a fine to four years in prison on each count, although it's expected he would be sentenced for the offenses concurrently, not consecutively.
The 77-year-old was found guilty on each of the 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a payment meant to silence porn star Stormy Daniels.
Disgrace And Rigged: Trump Slams Verdict
Addressing reporters outside minutes later, though, he dubbed the result a "disgrace" and "rigged," as reported by AFP. He vowed that the "real verdict" would come from voters in the presidential election.
What Happens Now ?
Donald Trump has been free on bail throughout the trial, and this did not change after the Thursday verdict. The former US President will return to court on July 11, the date Justice Juan Merchan has scheduled for a sentencing hearing.
According to the BBC, the judge will consider various factors in sentencing, including Trump’s age. The sentence could involve a fine, probation or supervision, or possibly prison time.
Can Trump Still Run For President ?
Donald Trump's conviction is certainly a massive development ahead of the US presidential elections set to be held later this year. As far as presidential candidature is concerned, the US Constitution sets out a few eligibility requirements. The candidates for the top post must be at least 35, be a “natural born” US citizen, and have lived in the country for at least 14 years.
Former President Trump meets all the requirements, and it is pertinent to mention that the US Constitution has no defined rules for blocking candidates with criminal records. So Trump can still run for the top post.