Donald Trump’s guilty verdict: how much prison time could he serve? What did he really do? Everything you need to know when the former US president is convicted

Donald Trump was found guilty last night on all charges in his landmark criminal trial involving “hush money” payments aimed at silencing porn star Stormy Daniels.

The jury of seven men and five women in Manhattan Criminal Court deliberated for nearly 10 hours before convicting the former president of all 34 counts he faced of falsifying business records.

It was the first time that a former president of the United States faced a criminal trial and tThe verdict could disrupt 2024 White House career, which constitutes a pivotal moment in the history of the United States.

Speaking outside the court, a visibly despondent Trump called the verdict a “disgrace” and the trial “rigged by a conflicted judge”, before insisting he would continue fighting the conviction and subsequent sentencing before the November election.

‘The real verdict will be on November 5th by the people and they know what happened here, and everyone knows what happened here.

‘I think it’s just a shame. And we will continue to fight and fight until the end, and we will win because our country has gone to hell,” he stated.

Now, MailOnline explains what will happen next.

Will he be able to run for president?

Yeah.

There is nowhere in the US constitution that prohibits convicted felons from running for president, meaning Trump could very well be elected as the 47th president of the United States in November.

However, he is the only former or sitting American president convicted of a crime, and also the first major party presidential candidate to be a convicted felon.

Are you 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 the disenfranchisement rules of other residents convicted out of state.

This means that Trump could vote, as long as he’s not behind bars on Election Day; this is the New York rule that would apply in Florida.

That brings us to the next question…

Will he go to jail?

Maybe.

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

But it will be up to Judge Juan Merchán to decide if his punishment will include jail time.

Legal experts told the Mail that Trump is unlikely to receive a prison sentence, given that he is a non-violent first offender.

But it is possible, although unlikely, that the GOP candidate will ultimately end up in a cell.

Trump’s team has vowed to appeal the conviction.

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

What sentence can you receive?

Each of the charges Trump was convicted of carries a potential maximum sentence of up to four years in prison.

If he were given the maximum sentence for each guilty count, he would face a very long 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 before his guilty verdict in this case.

But the former president will surely appeal any sentence that is handed down..

What did he really do?

The case revolved around allegations that Trump attempted to “corrupt” the 2016 election by hiding a $130,000 payment from his “fixer” Michael Cohen to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Prosecutors say it was a fraudulent label designed to conceal the purpose of the hush money transaction and unlawfully 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 from Daniels and exposed 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 refunds Trump signed for Cohen for the payment.

The refunds, paid by Trump in monthly installments, were recorded as legal expenses.

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

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

In the end, the jury agreed with the prosecution and found Trump guilty on all charges.

When will he be sentenced?

Judge Juan Merchán 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 will formally accept the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.

Trump, as a candidate, is expected to personally address the convention on his final night.

But these plans could fail if Trump receives a prison sentence.

What about your other legal cases?

Trump’s criminal trial related to the payment of money to porn star Stormy Daniels was only the first of four criminal cases against the former president that went to trial.

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

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

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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