Donald J. Trump has become the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony. In a historic verdict, a 12-person Manhattan jury found the former president guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
Trump is also the first major party candidate to run for president as a felon and the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
Here's what a guilty verdict would mean for Trump.
What will be the punishment for Trump?
Judge Juan Marchan is scheduled to sentence Trump on July 11 at 10 a.m. ET and will decide whether the former president's punishment will include prison time.
Trump was convicted of 34 counts, each of which carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, bringing his total to a maximum of 136 years, although in New York state the maximum prison sentence for such crimes is 20 years.
If the judge decides to impose prison terms for the multiple convictions, Judge Marchan must also decide whether Trump's sentences will run concurrently or consecutively.
Legal experts say Trump is unlikely to face prison because he has no criminal history and the charges are non-violent felonies.
Marchant could also impose other penalties, such as probation, in lieu of prison time. Trump would have to regularly appear in person before the New York City Probation Department, creating major disruption to the Republican presidential candidate's campaign schedule. If Trump commits another crime while on probation, he could be sent to prison immediately.
A guilty plea to Trump would also mean that each charge against him would be punishable by a fine of up to $5,000. If Judge Marchan were to adopt that approach, Trump could face fines of up to $170,000.
Marchant could also order a conditional release, in which case Trump would be free and would not have to serve probation as long as he doesn't get into further trouble.
Can Trump, a convicted felon, run for president and serve in the White House?
Yes. Being convicted of a felony does not preclude Trump from running for president. According to Article II of the US Constitution, there are only three qualifications necessary to run for the presidency: you must be at least 35 years old, be a natural-born US citizen, and have lived in the US for at least 14 years.
It would be a different story if Trump were charged with insurrection under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which, if convicted, would make him ineligible to hold public office.
Could Trump pardon himself over this if elected president?
No, he could not pardon himself in either the New York case or the Georgia election interference case. The President's pardon power does not extend to state crimes, and according to Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the President of the United States can only pardon federal crimes.
In the Manhattan hush money case, only New York Governor Kathy Hockal can grant a pardon, and because she is a Democrat, she is highly unlikely to grant one.
Will Trump be able to vote for himself in November's election?
Trump is registered to vote in Florida, a state in which convicted felons can only vote after serving their sentence, which can include prison time or paying a fine. However, Florida also respects the voting laws of the state in which they were convicted of a felony, in this case New York, where convicted felons are only allowed to vote while incarcerated.
So unless Trump is in jail on Election Day (which is unlikely), he will likely be able to vote for himself.
Can Trump appeal his conviction?
Yes, Trump's legal team plans to appeal the conviction. Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, said on CNN on Thursday night that they plan to appeal the conviction “as soon as possible.”
After Trump's sentence is imposed in July, his legal team will have 30 days to file a notice of appeal and then six months to appeal.
Will Scharf, another of Trump's lawyers, told Fox News that the former president's legal team is “considering all options” for an appeal. “This case is riddled with reversible error, going back to day one, all the way back to the jury instructions,” Scharf said. “Every aspect of this case is prepared for appeal. We intend to appeal as soon as possible. We intend to seek an expedited review of this case.”
If that happens, it remains to be seen whether Judge Marchan will order a stay of execution of Trump's sentence or suspend it pending the outcome of the appeals process, which could continue beyond Election Day.
What happened to President Trump's gag order?
Before the trial began on March 26, Judge Marchan issued a gag order prohibiting Trump from instructing himself or anyone else to speak publicly about jurors, trial witnesses, his attorneys or aides, court staff, or the families of those mentioned above.
The gag order does not prevent President Trump from speaking out about Judge Marchan or the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, who filed the lawsuit.
On April 1, Marchan added a clause to his gag order barring Trump from speaking about Marchan and Bragg's family.
Trump violated the gag order 10 times during his trial and was forced to pay fines totalling $10,000. It is not yet clear when the gag order will be lifted.
What about Trump's other legal troubles?
The former president faces three other criminal cases, but none are likely to go to trial before Election Day.
Georgia Election Interference Case: Last August, Georgia prosecutors charged Trump and 18 of his associates with trying to overturn the results of Georgia's 2020 election. The case is currently pending appeals over the dismissal of six counts against Trump, with District Attorney Fani Willis being allowed to continue in the case. No trial date has been set.
Federal Election Interference: Last August, special counsel Jack Smith filed four criminal charges against Trump, accusing him of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election after he lost it. The case is on hold until the Supreme Court decides whether Trump can claim presidential immunity in the case.
Federal Secrets Incident: In a separate lawsuit, Smith accused Trump of improperly handling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, after he left the White House. That case was scheduled to be tried in federal court in Florida, but U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon said the trial had been postponed indefinitely because of ongoing legal issues.
