Trump’s hush money conviction: What happens next

NEW YORK — Former President Trump’s secret trial ended with a sweeping conviction, but his historic case is far from over.

While Trump promises to appeal, the case will move toward sentencing on July 11 — just days before Trump officially becomes the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.

“As far as the trial itself, it was very unfair,” Trump told reporters on Friday, speaking from Trump Tower, where, almost a decade ago, the conspiracy that supported his conviction was formed.

Before he returns to court to hear his punishment, expect a flurry of activity.

Trump may face parole officer

Before sentencing, criminal defendants in New York are interviewed by a probation officer, who will develop a pre-sentence report that contains recommendations for the judge.

The process includes collecting Trump’s previous criminal history – which is none – employment history and economic situation. If available, state law also requires that the report include findings about the defendant’s “physical and mental condition.”

Both sides must submit their own memoranda with recommendations for the court to consider.

Under state law, Trump can also include as part of his submission “written statements from third parties in support of the facts alleged in the memorandum.”

Trump and possible prison sentence

Merchan instructed the defense to file any post-conviction motions by June 13, two weeks after the verdict. Prosecutors must respond by June 27, which is also the date of the first presidential debate between Trump and President Biden.

“We will speak out in our court filings, as we have throughout this process,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) said Thursday night when asked whether he would seek prison time.

Trump’s legal team has already signaled that it does not believe the former president should be jailed, which would be a rare punishment for a first-time offender convicted of falsifying business records in New York.

“There is a system where you rely on precedent, and someone like President Trump should never, ever face a prison sentence based on this conduct,” Trump attorney Todd Blanche said during a Thursday interview with Kaitlan CNN’s Collins.

“And that would kind of confirm what we’ve been saying all along,” he continued. “And a lot of people say we are wrong and that we are missing key pieces. But if other 77-year-old first-time offenders were never sent to prison for this conduct.”

Trump expressed similar sentiments at his press conference on Friday.

“I don’t feel 77 years old, nobody says that about me,” Trump said. “I wish they would say, ‘Gee, we need to feel a little sad for this man.’”

“Because they don’t, they just don’t say that about me,” he continued. “But maybe I’m better off this way.”

Trump can still campaign, probably vote

The former president’s conviction does not prevent him from running for president again – or from retaking the White House in November, if he wins the elections. His sentencing date is set just four days before the Republican National Convention, where he will be formally nominated by the party.

Meanwhile, he’s now mostly confined to the grim Manhattan courtroom four days a week. Trump throughout the trial complained that this prevented him from campaigning.

“I want to campaign,” Trump told reporters before entering the courtroom Thursday afternoon, just minutes before the jury reported it had reached a verdict.

Despite his felony conviction on all 34 counts, Trump will likely still be able to vote for himself this fall.

Under law in Florida, where Trump resides, felons convicted of an out-of-state crime are only made ineligible to vote if their conviction prevents them from voting in the state where they were convicted, according to the US Vote Foundation. In New York, where Trump was convicted, felons can vote if they are on probation, parole or have served their full sentence.

Imminent appeal

Trump’s lawyers have also indicated that an appeal of the verdict is imminent. Will Scharf, Trump’s appellate lawyer who is not formally part of the silence team, said Thursday that the former president’s legal team is “considering all options.” Lawyers hope to appeal “as quickly as possible” and ask for a speedy review of the case, he said.

It all follows a jury of 12 New Yorkers who found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records as he reimbursed his fixer, Michael Cohen, for paying porn actress Stormy Daniels to keep her story of an alleged affair with the then-presidential candidate in secret. secret for the previous decade before voters went to the polls in 2016.

Prosecutors portrayed the payment as part of a broader scheme by Trump and his allies to quell bad press before Election Day, when Trump would ultimately win the nation’s highest office.

The jury returned its verdict after about 11 hours of deliberation, issuing 34 decisive “guilty” determinations read aloud consecutively in court. Trump called the verdict “rigged” and “disgraceful.”

“The real verdict will be given by the people on November 5th, and they know what happened here, and everyone knows what happened here,” Trump said outside the courtroom shortly after the verdict was read.