Donald Trump in court, found guilty by the jury
In an unprecedented legal decision, a jury in New York has found former President Donald Trump guilty on all counts in his “hush money” trial, making him the first former president in United States history to be convicted of a crime.
The jury, made up of 12 New Yorkers, determined that Trump violated the law by falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election. Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts he faced.
The verdict was delivered in a Manhattan courtroom after a six-week trial. The former president, who is the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, is now officially a convicted felon.
Prosecutors argued that Trump authorised a scheme to falsify checks and associated records in an attempt to prevent voters from learning about an alleged sexual encounter with Daniels. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s team contended that this conspiracy began during Trump’s 2016 campaign and continued into his first year in the White House. Despite denying the affair and pleading not guilty, Trump was unable to convince the jury of his innocence.
Donald Trump faces 34 counts of falsification of business records in the first degree, a felony in the state of New York.
Each charge relates to documents created to pay Michael Cohen $35,000 per month in 2017. These documents include the checks themselves, the invoices Cohen submitted for reimbursement, and the vouchers the Trump Organisation used to record the payments.
Prosecutors allege that these checks were intended to reimburse Cohen for a $130,000 “hush money” payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016. This payment was purportedly made in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump years earlier. Trump’s defence contends that the payments to Cohen were for his legal services.
In a matter of minutes, the jury foreperson announced that the jurors had reached a unanimous verdict.
One by one, the foreperson declared the verdict for each count: “Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.”
Each juror was then asked individually if they concurred with the verdict. Trump watched intently, staring at each juror as they affirmed their decision.
Following the reading of the verdict, Judge Merchan expressed his gratitude to the jurors for their dedicated service, noting that the jury selection process had commenced on April 15.
“It’s a significant commitment to be away from your jobs, families, and other responsibilities for such a long period,” he remarked. “Moreover, you were involved in an exceptionally stressful task. I deeply admire your dedication and engagement throughout this process.”
Judge Merchan informed the jurors that they were free to discuss their service but were under no obligation to do so.
“No one can compel you to speak about your experience if you choose not to. The decision is entirely yours,” he stated.
He also requested to meet with them in the jury room to thank them personally, adding that while he couldn’t discuss the case or its specifics, he would appreciate their feedback on the proceedings.
“At this time, I thank you for your service. You are excused,” he concluded.
Speaking to reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom, Donald Trump reacted angrily to the jury’s unanimous verdict, harshly criticising the judge.
“This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,” Trump declared, reiterating his longstanding criticisms of the court throughout the trial.
The GOP nominee insisted that the case is “far from over.”
“The real verdict will be on November 5th, delivered by the people. They know what happened here, and everyone knows what happened here,” Trump stated. “We’ll fight to the end.”
Before adjourning the court, Trump’s lead attorney, Todd Blanche, requested a sentencing date in mid to late July.
Judge Merchan, however, scheduled the sentencing for July 11 at 10 a.m. He instructed the defence to submit any motions by June 13, with the prosecution required to respond by June 27.
After setting these dates, Judge Merchan excused the parties.
Despite his felony conviction, Donald Trump is not disqualified from running for president again if he wins the election in November, according to a CBS report.
The US Constitution sets forth minimal prerequisites for the presidency: a candidate must be at least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen, and have been a US resident for at least 14 years. It does not address the impact of a felony conviction on a candidate’s eligibility to serve as president.
“The short answer is yes, there’s no constitutional barrier,” explained Corey Brettschneider, a lawyer, professor of political science at Brown University, and author of “The Presidents and the People.”
“The Constitution specifies certain requirements for the presidency, but it doesn’t explicitly disqualify individuals convicted of a crime.”
Donald Trump’s conviction by a New York court shows that “no one is above the law”, his election rival President Joe Biden’s campaign said on Thursday, according to AFP.
“In New York today, we saw that no one is above the law,” Biden-Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement.
“But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box.”
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