Instance of 'paying cash in return for quiet' to previous pornography star: Trump announced 'blameworthy' however what will happen now?

Instance of 'paying cash in return for quiet' to previous pornography star: Trump announc
ed 'blameworthy' however what will happen now?

On Thursday, Donald Trump became the first former president in US history to be found guilty in a civil suit. The jury found the former US president guilty of all 34 charges against him.

Donald Trump was accused of falsifying business records to hide "hush money" paid to former porn star Stormy Daniels.

As the 12-member jury in Manhattan, New York, returned a unanimous verdict after two days of deliberations, the former president anxiously listened to the jury's guilty verdicts one by one.

The ruling would also make him the first candidate of any US political party to run for the White House as a felon

. Donald Trump is the Republican candidate for the US presidential election in November this year. The Republican Party will formally select him to run for president at the party's convention beginning July 15.

However, four days before that, on July 11, he will be sentenced. The former US president faces up to one year and four months to four years in prison for each charge.

However, given his age and previous criminal record (President Trump has never been convicted in the past), his sentence could be commuted or released.

'Fixed Trial'

After leaving the court, former President Trump, speaking to the media, called the trial a "fixed trial" and a "disgraceful" process.

He claimed that justice had not been done to him and said that "he will fight till the end."

Donald Trump took no questions and went on to say that the fight is not over yet.

The former president's lawyers are expected to file an appeal against the decision. As a result of the appeal, it may take months or years before a final decision is made in the case.

Donald Trump is the Republican candidate in this year's election, photo source GETTY IMAGES

image captionDonald Trump is the Republican candidate for the US presidential election in November this year

After the decision, Donald Trump has also requested donations for his election campaign on his social media network 'Truth Social'.

The former president said that he "did nothing wrong". Describing himself as 'a political prisoner', he has appealed to supporters to help him become president again.

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, photo source GETTY IMAGES

Image caption Responding to the ruling against Trump, Biden's campaign said in a statement: 'Today we saw in New York that no one is above the law.'

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'No one is above the law'

Reacting to the decision against Trump, Biden's campaign said in a statement that "Today we saw in New York that no one is above the law."

Michael Tyler, press officer for the Biden and Kamala Harris campaign, said in a statement that "Donald Trump has always had the mistaken belief that he would not face consequences for breaking the law for his personal gain."

He further said that 'There is only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the presidential office: defeat in the elections.'

Former porn star Stormy Daniels (right), Donald Trump, photo source GETTY IMAGES

Image caption Former porn star Stormy Daniels (right), Donald Trump

What is a 'hush money case'?

"Hush money" means paying an individual for not leaking a certain secret. It is a personal case and its protagonist is a woman named Stormy Daniels.

Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Gregory Clifford, is a former actress, screenwriter and director in the porn industry. She claims that Donald Trump had sex with her in 2006. At that time, Trump's second marriage had already been a year.

Stormy Daniels claims that when Trump was a presidential candidate in 2016, he paid her $130,000 through his lawyer, Michael Cohen, on the condition that she would not disclose her relationship with Trump.

Trump has denied the relationship, but it is not the reason for his legal trouble, nor his payment of money to Stormy Daniels, which is not a crime in the United States.

In fact, Donald Trump disclosed in official documents that the payment to the porn star was a legal fee, and New York prosecutors say that "falsifying business records is a felony."

Stormy Daniels' real name is Stephanie Gregory Clifford, photo source: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Gregory Clifford, is a former porn industry actress, screenwriter and director.

What will happen next?

Former President Trump has been out on bail throughout the trial. After the jury found him guilty, he remains free pending a sentencing schedule by Justice Juan Murchan.

Judges may consider several factors before imposing a sentence. These factors include Mr. Trump's age (now 77), prior criminal record (President Trump has never been convicted in the past) and possible violations of court gag orders. . A gag order is a legal order prohibiting the release of information or statements related to a lawsuit to the public or to unauthorized third parties.

As punishment, they can be fined, placed on probation or supervision, or possibly sent to prison for a specified period of time.

Can Trump go to jail?

It's possible, but highly unlikely, that Trump will spend time behind bars.

The charges against him are Class E felonies, the lowest level of misdemeanor in New York State. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of four years.

Along with this, the judge hearing the case, Justice Murchan, has several reasons for choosing the minimum sentence. Among them, Mr. Trump's age,

Can Trump still run for president?

Yes, of course. The US Constitution has relatively low eligibility requirements for presidential candidates. The requirements to become President of the United States are that a candidate must be at least 35 years old, be a 'natural born' US citizen and have lived in the US for at least 14 years. But there is no rule to prevent candidates with criminal records from contesting the presidential election.

But a guilty verdict could still affect the November 2024 presidential election. A Bloomberg and Morning Consult poll earlier this year found that 53 percent of voters in key swing states refused to vote for a Republican if convicted.

Another Quinnipiac University poll from the same month found that six percent of Mr. Trump's voters would be less likely to vote for him. And it will be very productive in such a tough competition.