Former President Trump Was Found Guilty, So What Happens Next?

Former President Donald Trump (R) was found guilty Thursday of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

This marks the first time in history that a sitting or former United States president has been convicted of a crime.

The verdict comes about a month and a half before the Republican Party is set to choose their nominee and less than six months ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Although this decision marks the end of the trial, there is expected to be a long legal road ahead for former President Trump, potentially impacting his campaign in the weeks and months to come.

Sentencing is scheduled to take place on July 11, just days before Trump will be formally selected as the Republican nominee for president.

In light of this verdict, many have questioned what this means for the former president going forward regarding his ability to campaign, vote, and hold office.

Despite the fact that Trump’s trial has now come to a close, the gag order imposed upon the former president by Judge Juan M. Merchan appears to remain in place, meaning that Trump still cannot speak publicly about any jurors, witnesses, lawyers, or court staff involved in the proceedings.

Judge Merchan did not lift this gag order following the delivery of the jury’s verdict Thursday, and it is not clear at this time how long it will remain in place.

Despite this conviction, the former president will, in all likelihood, still be able to cast a ballot in the November election.

In Florida, those with felony convictions are typically barred from voting until their sentence is completed, including any probation or parole, and all restitution, fines, and other fees are paid.

Because Trump was found guilty in New York, however, Florida law would only prevent him from voting this November if he were to actually be physically jailed at the time of the election.

Since the former president is expected to appeal the decision — presumably halting the enforcement of any jail term — it is highly unlikely that he would be barred from casting a ballot in the upcoming presidential election, even if he is sentenced to prison time on July 11.

Thursday’s conviction will also not impact Trump’s ability to run for or serve as president, as there are no laws or constitutional provisions barring an individual with criminal convictions — including felonies — from seeking or obtaining the office.

During a speech at Trump Tower Friday, the former president vowed to appeal the conviction, although legal experts have said that he will be unable to do so until after sentencing in July.

Click Here to Watch Trump’s Full Speech

Todd Blanche, who served as an attorney for Trump throughout this trial, expressed similar plans in an interview with the Today Show, explaining that the former president’s legal team is prepared to and will be taking action to appeal Thursday’s conviction.

Blanche went on to explain during this interview that the controversy surrounding Merchan’s alleged political biases, the fact that the statute of limitations had run out on the misdemeanors underlying the conviction, the argument that key witness Michael Cohen cannot be “relied upon to convict somebody,” and “the background of why this case was brought” will all be “meaningful” to the former president’s case on appeal.

Click Here to Watch the Full Interview

All four members of Maine’s congressional delegation have now spoken out regarding Thursday’s verdict.

Sen. Susan Collins (R) was the only lawmaker in this group to criticize the verdict, while Sen. Angus King (I), Rep. Jared Golden (D), and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) all praised the jury for their work on the case.

The former president is now facing between zero and four years in jail for each of the 34 charges of which he was convicted. It is also possible, however, that Merchan may instead choose to sentence him to an prison alternative, such as probation or home detention.

Although it has been explained by Trump’s attorney and other legal experts that prison time would generally be an unlikely outcome for someone in the former president’s position as first-time offender, among other things, jail time is not out of the question.

Legal experts have suggested that if time in prison is pursued, Merchan would be likely to sentence the former president to serve the terms concurrently, meaning that he would be looking at a maximum of four years in jail.

That said, if Merchan were to impose the full penalty for each charge and order that the sentences be served consecutively, the former president could be looking at a prison term as long as 136-years.