Will Trump go to jail? Here's what happens now that he's been found guilty.

Top line

Former President Donald Trump became the first US president to be convicted of a crime when a Manhattan jury found him guilty on Thursday, and the judge could potentially sentence him to prison – an unprecedented and unlikely situation which would impose significant logistical complications and political impact. “ripple effect,” experts say. (Update: Jury declares Trump guilty in a secret trial.)

Highlights

Surprising fact

Trump can still run for president, even if he is imprisoned, because the Constitution requires presidential candidates to be at least 35 years old and be natural-born citizens living in the United States for at least 14 years. If Trump were unable to fulfill his constitutional duties due to his imprisonment, the majority of his cabinet and the vice president could remove him from office and transfer his authority to the vice president, the New York previously noted Times.

Tangent

The Secret Service was preparing for the unlikely possibility that Trump could be incarcerated before the trial began, The New York Times previously reported, citing sources familiar with the preparations. Secret Service agents would be stationed at the facility 24 hours a day to protect Trump, who would likely be held in an area closed to other detainees.

To monitor

Trump could also be sentenced to community service or probation, which could cause significant logistical complications given his travel schedule and the likely requirement that he routinely report to a prison office. probation or receive random visits from a probation officer, Saland said.

Contra

Saland said that while he believes Trump deserves prison since his conduct — as alleged — “potentially altered the election and the presidency,” the political fallout would be too severe to merit prison time. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” Saland said. “Putting him in prison will have consequences and a ripple effect that none of us can imagine or understand. »

Key context

The jury returned its verdict Thursday after about nine and a half hours of deliberations, marking the culmination of a six-week trial just five months before the November election. Prosecutors indicted Trump in March 2023 for fraudulently labeling business records as legal fees, alleging that the payments were actually made to reimburse his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for the $130,000 Cohen said he paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about the 2006 affair she said she had with Trump. Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor in New York, but prosecutors have charged Trump with crimes saying he committed the crimes with the intent to commit or cover up another crime, such as illegally conspiring to influence the state's election. 2016. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges, denied allegations of an affair with Daniels, and repeatedly accused prosecutors and Merchan, without evidence, of working on Biden's behalf to harm Trump's chances of winning in November.

Further reading

The jury is currently deliberating in Trump's Hush Money trial – and Trump can't leave until there is a verdict (Forbes)

Trump trial prosecutor ends closing argument after nearly 5 hours – jury instructions set for Wednesday (Forbes)

Here's what happens if Trump is found guilty – as the jury begins deliberating (Forbes)