Donald Trump made history as the first former U. S. president to be convicted on criminal charges, even though legal experts say he is unlikely to face a criminal sentence for his verdict.
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the November presidential election, was found guilty on all 34 counts similar to his secret money indictment filed Thursday by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The former president pleaded not guilty to all charges and told reporters after his verdict. that he had faced a “rigged” trial presided over by Judge Juan Merchán.
Each charge is a Class E felony, which under New York State law carries a fine and a prison term of up to five years. Merchan is expected to deliver Trump’s sentence on July 11, 4 days before the Republican National Convention begins its official nomination procedure. of their selection for 2024.
Incarcerating a former president would raise several logistical questions that have never needed an answer before, namely how the U. S. Secret Service would continue to provide 24-hour protection, as required by law. Gregory Germain, a law professor at Syracuse University, told Newsweek that jailing a primary political party’s leading presidential candidate “would also create a constitutional crisis, and I would expect emergency motions to stay the sentence pending appeal. “
However, should Trump be sent to prison, Germain said it would most likely be “a disaster,” given that the “personal safety” of a former president “would be of the utmost concern. “
“He certainly wouldn’t move into a situation where violent, hardened criminals live, but I don’t think the state formula includes sumptuous housing,” he said. “Actually, it’s hard to believe how they would deal with that. “
New York lawyer Bradley Moss, a common critic of Trump, claimed that there is “virtually no chance” that Trump will go to prison “immediately,” given that his fees are not violent.
Moss added, “No one knows for sure how to approach the incarceration of a former president,” though for “a brief period of just a few months, the criminal government will most likely be able to isolate part of a prison. “installation. “
It’s also unclear where Trump might be sent to serve a conceivable criminal sentence. If doubt arose, the main points of Trump’s location would be made through the New York Department of Corrections after sentencing.
“If he were to go to prison, which I don’t think will happen, he would have to be in a separate domain from prison and have to go to the Secret Service,” Bradford Cohen, a Florida-based criminal lawyer, told Newsweek. .
“Any criminal who says they are in a position to deal with something like this is not honest,” he added. “[New York’s] criminals have shown that they can’t even take care of lesser-known celebrities. “
Craig Trocino, a law professor at the University of Miami, noted that the ruling in Trump’s case could also result in a sentence that does not involve prison time, such as probation or space arrest.
“Normal Americans on probation or under space arrest are subject to a lot of limitations,” he told Newsweek. “Movement control, movement limitation, mandatory drugs and alcohol, for example. “
“If it’s a criminal sentence, the position of the sentence will probably depend on the length of the sentence,” Trocino continued. “Shorter sentences of a year or less are regularly handed down at Rikers Island. The longest sentences will be through New York criminal authorities. The criminal can simply place you in a special housing unit within the criminal. “
Bragg told reporters at a news conference Thursday night that he would “speak in our court records” when asked if he plans to seek a prison sentence for Trump in July.
“I’m going to communicate hypotheses. . . This is an active and ongoing issue,” he added.
The prosecutor also thanked his prosecutors who worked on the case and declined the opportunity to respond to the complaint by Trump and others who questioned the integrity of the case.
“Today we have the most vital voice of all, and that’s the juries,” Bragg said. “They’ve spoken. Donald J. Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of tampering with business records. “
Updated 5/30/24 at 7:05 p. m. ET: This story has been updated with more information and context.
Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team founded in Boston, Massachusetts. She focuses on national news and politics, where she has covered occasions such as the 2022 midterm elections, live election rallies, and candidate debates for Newsweek. It also covers legal topics and stories of criminals. Kaitlin joined Newsweek in May 2022 as an intern before starting full-time work in September 2022. She graduated from the University of Dayton and in the past worked as a news intern at the Cincinnati Enquirer. You can reach Kaitlin by sending an email to k. lewis@newsweek. com. Languages: English.
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