Manhattan jurors are set to begin deliberating Wednesday in the historic hush money trial against Donald Trump — here’s what happens if he’s found guilty:
Trump, 77 — the first US president to stand trial in a criminal case — faces 34 counts of falsifying business records connected to allegations he made a hush money payment to porn start Stormy Daniels in the lead up to the 2016 presidential election to keep her quiet about claims she had a one-night-stand with a married Trump.
Each of the counts the 45th president faces comes with a maximum penalty of four years imprisonment.
Could Trump go to prison?
In theory, though it’s highly unlikely, Trump could face 136 years behind bars if convicted on all counts and given consecutive sentences.
It is far more likely, however, that he would be given concurrent sentences for each of the 34 counts — meaning the most likely the maximum he’ll face is four years behind bars.
Though, it’s possible that the judge would not sentence him to time behind bars.
It’s also not clear if prosecutors in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office would seek a sentence of incarceration — given he’s charged with a non-violent offense and hasn’t been convicted of any other crimes.
Could Trump pardon himself?
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee would not be able to pardon himself of a conviction in this case if he was reelected and became the 47th president since it’s a state case and not a federal one.
The real estate tycoon would face the same limitation if he were convicted in the Georgia election fraud case and reelected, since that also charges him with state crimes and not federal ones.
He faces two other criminal cases in federal court as well — for allegedly mishandling classified documents and for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election — which in theory he’d be able to pardon himself for.
He could order the Justice Department to the drop federal offenses he faces but he very likely would face legal challenges to such a move.
Could Trump still run for president?
Trump could still run for president if he was convicted but it’s unclear the impact him becoming a convicted felon would have on voters.
Trump previously quipped that his supporters are so devoted that he “could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I still wouldn’t lose any voters.”
But there are surprisingly few limitations on presidential eligibility in the US constitution besides being 35 years old or older and being a “natural born” US citizen.
