Politics

Can Donald Trump still run for president? The hush-money verdict explained

First conviction of a former US president raises a series of novel issues

Former President Donald Trump, depicted in a courtroom sketch, was found guilty.
Former President Donald Trump, depicted in a courtroom sketch, was found guilty. Photo: Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

The hush-money case against Donald Trump is heading into more uncharted territory after a 12-person jury found him guilty of 34 charges of falsifying business records. The first former president to face a criminal trial is now the first to be convicted of a felony. The big questions now are Trump’s potential sentence and whether he can overturn the verdict on appeal. Here’s a look at the potential path ahead.  

Could Trump go to jail? What other punishments are possible?

It is possible, though perhaps not likely, that Trump could be sentenced to time behind bars. The felony counts carry a sentence of as long as four years in prison, and Justice Juan Merchan, the judge presiding over the trial, has broad discretion to impose a harsher punishment. 

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