Now that former President Donald Trump is a convicted felon, he could lose some of his individual freedoms, possibly including his ability to vote and own firearms.
On Thursday afternoon in a New York court, a 12-person jury found Trump guilty of 34 felonies related to falsifying hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The former president’s sentencing is expected to occur on July 11.
What happens at that hearing will be critical in determining what rights Trump will retain and what freedoms can be stripped from him.
Former President Donald Trump walks to deliver remarks to members of the media after a jury convicted him of felonies for falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election. As a felon, he could lose certain individual freedoms depending on his sentence.
In Florida, where Trump lives, it is notoriously difficult for felons to regain their voting rights.
But since the Sunshine State defers to other states’ disenfranchisement rules, Trump could cast his vote assuming he’s not behind bars on Election Day, which is the New York rule that Florida would apply.
So if Trump escapes from prison during his sentence, he will be able to vote, probably for himself, in the November election.
Blair Bowie, a lawyer who works with the Campaign Legal Center, said NBC News “The only way you can’t vote is if you’re in prison on Election Day.”
Still, Trump faces up to a maximum of four years in prison on each count, meaning he could be stripped of his ability to vote depending on whether he is actually sentenced to prison.
Legal experts tell DailyMail.com that he is highly unlikely to serve jail time as a non-violent first offender.
Former President Donald Trump leaves the courtroom after being found guilty of 34 felonies
The former president could lose his right to vote and own firearms if he is sentenced to more than a year in prison at his July 11 sentencing.
And Trump could appeal any decision to send him to prison until after the election, meaning he would not be in prison at the time of his alleged rematch with Biden, allowing him to vote.
Overall, the odds of Trump not being able to vote in November are extremely slim, perhaps close to zero.
Trump could also lose his right to bear arms.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), people ‘convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year’ lose the ability to own weapons.
So if Trump spends more than a year behind bars, he will be able to say goodbye to his Second Amendment rights.
The former president could also be barred from serving on a jury, although it would be highly unusual for him to serve on one in the first place.
Under Florida law, people convicted of a felony cannot serve on jurors until their civil rights are restored.
However, an individual’s civil rights can be restored “upon completion of all terms of the sentence, including probation or parole,” meaning Trump could regain his right to serve on a jury if he so chooses. .
An anti-Trump protester reacts outside the courthouse after former US President Donald Trump was found guilty during his criminal trial.
A pro-Trump protester breaks down in tears outside the courthouse after former US President Donald Trump was found guilty.
Felony convictions also prevent people from receiving security clearances, such as top secret clearances.
Although if Trump is elected president in November, even as a convicted felon, he would receive the highest level of clearance available despite his criminal record.
Alyssa Farah Griffin, former White House Director of Strategic Communications, called that fact “wild” in a Thursday X post.
