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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Sami Quadri

Will Donald Trump go to prison and is he still be able to run for president?

Donald Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts concludes the former president's historic hush money trial, but the legal fight is far from over.

Sentencing and a lengthy appellate process loom, while the presumptive Republican presidential nominee still faces three more criminal cases and a campaign that could see him return to the White House.

A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records after more than nine hours of deliberations over two days.

The case stems from a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump angrily denounced the trial as a “disgrace”, claiming he's an “innocent man”.

Could Trump go to prison?

The big question now is whether Trump could go to prison.

Sentencing is set for July 11, just days before Republicans are set to formally nominate him for president.

The charge of falsifying business records is a Class E felony in New York, punishable by up to four years in prison. However, there's no guarantee the judge will impose a prison sentence.

Other punishments could include a fine or probation, and the judge might allow Trump to avoid serving any punishment until after he exhausts his appeals.

Trump faces the threat of more serious prison time in the three other cases he's facing, but those cases have been delayed by appeals and other legal battles, making it uncertain if any will go to trial before the November election.

What impact will this have on the upcoming US presidential election?

The conviction doesn't bar Trump from continuing his campaign or becoming president. He can still vote for himself in Florida as long as he stays out of prison in New York.

Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, said he would do virtual rallies and campaign events if sentenced to home confinement.

In a divided America, it's unclear whether Trump's criminal conviction will impact the election.

Leading strategists in both parties believe Trump remains well-positioned to defeat Biden, despite the legal challenges.

The guilty verdict has, in the short term, helped unify the Republican Party, with officials rallying behind Trump and his campaign benefiting from increased fundraising.

A recent ABC News/Ipsos poll found that only 4 per cent of Trump's supporters would withdraw their support if he's convicted of a felony, though another 16 per cent said they would reconsider it.

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