Former President Donald Trump is currently facing a significant legal challenge as he stands trial in New York on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. This marks the first time since leaving the White House that Trump is potentially facing jail time.
The charges against Trump are related to reimbursements made to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has consistently denied any affair with Daniels.
Each count of falsifying business records represents a separate instance of the alleged misconduct, with various business records such as ledger entries, checks, stubs, and invoices being implicated in the case. These records were allegedly falsified to conceal Trump's involvement in the payments to Cohen.
If convicted on all counts, Trump could face a maximum penalty of four years in state prison for each count. However, the ultimate sentencing decision lies with the judge, who has the discretion to determine the length of any potential sentence and whether they should be served consecutively. Alternatively, the judge could opt to sentence Trump to probation.
It is important to note that New York law limits the sentencing for this type of felony to a maximum of 20 years. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that a sitting president does not have the authority to pardon state crimes, meaning that Trump would not be able to receive a pardon for any potential convictions in this case.
