Donald Trump responsible verdict Q&A

Donald Trump was last night found guilty on all counts in his historic criminal trial related to ‘hush money’ payments meant to silence porn star Stormy Daniels.

The jury of seven men and five women at Manhattan Criminal Court deliberated for nearly 10 hours before convicting the former President of all 34 charges he was facing of falsifying business records.

It was the first time a former U.S. President has faced a criminal trial and the verdict could upend the 2024 White House race, proving a pivotal moment in the history of the United States.

Speaking outside the courthouse, a visibly crestfallen Trump labelled the verdict a ‘disgrace’ and the trial ‘rigged by a conflicted judge’, before going on to insist he would continue to fight the conviction and subsequent sentencing ahead of the November election.

‘The real verdict is going to be November 5th by the people and they know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here.

‘I think it’s just a disgrace. And we’ll keep fighting and fight till the end, and we’ll win because our country’s gone to hell,’ he said.

Now, MailOnline explains what happens next. 

Can he stand for president?

Yes.

There is no part of America’s constitution that bars convicted felons from running for President, meaning Trump could well be voted in as the 47th President of the United States in November. 

He is, however, the only former or serving US president to be found guilty of a crime, and also the first major-party presidential nominee to be a convicted felon. 

Is he still allowed to vote?

Yes – for now. 

In Florida, where Trump lives, it is notoriously difficult for felons to regain their voting rights. 

But he was convicted in New York, and the Sunshine State generally defers to others’ disenfranchisement rules for residents convicted out-of-state.

This means that Trump would be able to cast a ballot, provided he is not behind bars on election day – this is the New York rule that would be enforced in Florida.

That leads us on to the next question…

Will he go to jail?

Maybe.

Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

But it will be up to Justice Juan Merchan to decide whether his punishment will include jail time. 

Legal experts told the Mail it is unlikely that Trump will be slapped with a prison sentence, given that he is a non-violent first offender. 

But it is possible, albeit unlikely, that the Republican party nominee could ultimately end up in a jail cell. 

The Trump team has vowed to appeal the conviction. 

He will now face the Appellate Division in Manhattan, and possibly the Court of Appeals, and will remain free on bail while he does so. 

What sentence can he get?

The charges on which Trump was convicted each carry a maximum potential sentence of up to four years in prison.

If he was given the maximum sentence for every single guilty count he would face a very lengthy prison sentence – but legal experts agree there is no chance of this happening. 

Lawyers believe the most likely outcome of the trial would be a hefty fine, given that Trump had never committed a crime prior to his guilty verdict in this case. 

But the former President is certain to appeal any sentence that is handed down.

What did he actually do?

The case revolved around allegations that Trump tried to ‘corrupt’ the 2016 election by hiding a $130,000 hush money payment by his ‘fixer’ Michael Cohen to porn star Stormy Daniels. 

Prosecutors say that was a fraudulent label designed to conceal the purpose of the hush money transaction and to illicitly interfere in the 2016 election. 

Daniels alleged that she and Trump had sex a decade earlier, which he has denied.

The case featured explosive evidence by Daniels and lifted the lid on the ‘catch and kill’ practices of the National Enquirer tabloid, which bought stories that could be damaging to Trump and suppressed them.

But the actual criminal charges concerned the reimbursements Trump signed for Cohen for the payment.

The reimbursements, paid by Trump in monthly instalments, were recorded as being for legal expenses.

Prosecutors said that was a fraudulent label designed to conceal the purpose of the hush money transaction and to illicitly interfere in the 2016 election – hence the charges of falsifying business records.  

Trump’s lawyers meanwhile argued that Cohen actually did substantive legal work for Trump and his family, and his fees were therefore recorded as legal expenses.

Ultimately, the jury agreed with the prosecution and found Trump guilty on all counts.  

When will he be sentenced?

Judge Juan Merchan set Trump’s sentencing date for July 11. 

That date falls just four days before the start of the Republican National Convention, in Milwaukee where he is set to formally accept the GOP presidential nomination. 

Trump, as the nominee, is expected to address the convention in person on its final night. 

But these plans could be scuppered should Trump be given a prison sentence. 

What about his other legal cases? 

Trump’s criminal trial related to the hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels was just the first of four criminal cases against the ex-president to go to trial.

The former president also faces charges stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into election interference and the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, as well as charges for the alleged mishandling of classified documents in Florida. 

In total, Trump faces 88 criminal counts including the 34 he was convicted of on  Thursday in New York. That leaves another 54 counts that the president and his legal team must defend at some point in the future. 

Trump has pleaded not guilty on all charges. 

But trial dates for the three other criminal cases have not yet been set, meaning they are unlikely to interrupt election proceedings.