Donald Trump has now become the first former US president to be criminally convicted at trial on all 34 counts of falsifying corporate records. What happens now?
We are waiting.
Judge Juan Merchan will not yet pronounce Trump’s sentence. There will be a future court date for that. Prior to the sentencing date, both parties will most likely file documents with the court outlining their arguments for the sentence the judge should impose in this historic case. And like any convicted defendant, Trump would have to be interviewed by the probation department, which will prepare a report for the judge to consider when making a decision.
Merchan has many options in front of him, and incarceration is not mandatory.
Trump was convicted of falsifying company data in the first degree. While that is a misdemeanor, it is the lowest level misdemeanor in New York State. The options range from a fine to a prison sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years. The reason that possible prison sentence is a range rather than a specific number is that this sentence is known as “indeterminate” (as opposed to “determined,” which would be a specific number). Here’s how the New York State corrections website explains these types of convictions:
So even if Trump is sentenced to prison, the amount of time he serves could be relatively small – although the significance of the time he spends behind bars should not be minimized (aside from the special practical adjustments that may be made in this hypothetical situation for a former president would be made). scenario). And we should expect that prison sentences on multiple counts will run concurrently (that is, together), rather than consecutively.
But even if Merchan imposes a prison sentence, we shouldn’t expect Trump to serve it anytime soon. There is a good chance he will appeal, and he remains free pending the appeal, which is unlikely to be resolved before November’s presidential election.
With his possible return to the White House hanging over all four of his criminal cases, the question of how this will affect this case is still an open question. But anyone banking on Trump’s conviction in this case that will land him behind bars in a jail suit should temper their expectations.
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This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
