Former President Donald Trump, now a convicted felon, will be due back in Manhattan court in July for a sentencing hearing days before he is scheduled to be nominated as the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
A New York jury on Thursday found the 77-year-old former president guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump is now the first president in U.S. history to be convicted of a crime.
“This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be November 5th by the people,” Trump said outside the court Thursday.
Trump’s sentencing hearing is set for July 11, which will come just four days before the Republican National Convention, which will take place from July 15 to 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
TRUMP GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL
Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, called out the timing as conspicuous on social media.
“Sentencing is 4 days before the GOP Convention…They’re not even trying to hide the ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!!” he posted on X.
The Republican National Committee did not respond to a request for comment. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley called the verdict politically-motivated in a statement.
“Today’s verdict, handed down by a partisan and biased judge, is an indictment on the Democrats’ campaign to weaponize the judicial system to attack President Trump,” Whatley said. “The real verdict will take place on November 5 when Americans vote for a president they trust to bring down prices, secure the southern border, restore America’s leadership around the world and Make America Great Again.”
Prosecutors said Trump falsified business records to cover up payments made ahead of the 2016 presidential election to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels about an alleged 2006 extramarital sexual encounter with Trump. The charges were elevated to a felony after Bragg argued that Trump falsified records to cover up an additional crime.
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Now that Trump is convicted, he can still run for president. But his campaign will be severely handicapped to varying degrees depending on his sentence. An appeal could take months or even years to resolve, and an appellate court will decide whether to stay any sentence or conditions pending appeal.
Prosecutors will have the option of requesting that presiding Judge Juan Merchan increase Trump’s bail to guarantee his return for the sentencing hearing. This could also include a request for remand, which would place Trump in jail until his sentencing hearing. But legal experts told Fox News Digital it is unlikely for a 77-year-old man who has never been convicted of a crime to be sent to jail.
Prior to his sentencing, Trump will meet with a probation officer for an interview to create a pre-sentencing report for the judge. The report, which could take six to eight weeks to complete, will include a short biography of Trump and a recommended sentence. It will be sent to all parties, and the defense will have an opportunity to suggest its own sentencing terms. The judge is not bound by the sentencing report and may hand down a sentence he deems appropriate.
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Possible sentences range from jail time to probation or home confinement. If Trump is sentenced to prison, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has said the city’s Department of Corrections and the Rikers Island facility in New York are “ready” to receive him.
Another option is for Trump to be placed in home confinement at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida residence. New York and Florida officials would have to coordinate, but this would severely restrict Trump’s ability to campaign for the White House, criminal defense attorney David Gelman told Fox News Digital.
The third option, probation, would place Trump at the mercy of his probation officer. The presumptive 2024 Republican nominee would have to request permission to travel out of state, for example, which would greatly hinder his ability to campaign. He could also be subject to searches, surprise visits and be forced to attend meetings at any time.
If Trump wins the election despite his conviction, he will not be able to pardon himself, since this is a state case. How a sitting president of the United States could abide by the terms of his sentence after conviction for state crimes is unprecedented and unknown legal territory.
Fox News’ Michael Lee contributed to this report.
