Trump guilty | Insurance business America
Former president convicted of 34 crimes in New York hush money trial
Insurance News
By Ryan Smith
Former President Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The charges stem from an attempt to conceal a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
This is the first time a former US president has faced a criminal conviction. The fact that Trump is also the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee for the 2024 election will also put the race on an unknown path, according to a report from CNBC.
Sentencing date set
Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the case, has scheduled sentencing for July 11, CNBC reported. Merchan ordered the prosecution and defense to file motions by June 13. The parties are expected to file sentencing memoranda in which each side will argue over what Trump’s punishment should be.
Prison is a possibility
According to CNBC, the charges against Trump are Class E felonies, which is the least serious offense under New York law.
Trump’s punishment could include fines, restitution, probation or a combination thereof. However, detention is not out of the question, CNBC reported. For Class E felonies, the maximum penalty is four years in prison.
Merchan has wide latitude in determining Trump’s sentence and can consider a number of factors in making his decision. Some factors, such as Trump’s lack of a criminal record and his age of 77, are likely to favor a lighter sentence.
However, according to CNBC, the former president’s behavior during the trial could also be taken into account. That could spell trouble for Trump, who repeatedly attacked Merchan and violated a confidentiality agreement throughout the trial.
“Trump’s violation of the gag orders, his denigration of the court process, the judge or the prosecutor – all of that is fair game,” Bennett Gershman, a professor at Pace Law School, told CNBC.
However, most experts believe it is highly unlikely that the former president will face prison time as a result of the conviction.
Gershman told CNBC that a prison sentence is “certainly plausible” but that a lesser sentence such as house arrest may be more likely because of the significant challenges involved in imprisoning a former president.
Appeal inevitable
Gershman told CNBC that Trump will definitely appeal the conviction. However, the appeal process is lengthy, and even if the former president is able to overturn his conviction, he will not be able to do so before Election Day.
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2024-05-30 22:03:37
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