If Trump is convicted, what happens next?

Thirty-four prices, 12 jurors, one typically exasperated decide and a parade of witnesses.

After practically 5 weeks, each the prosecution and the defence have rested in Donald Trump’s historical past making hush-money case.

Closing arguments will start on Tuesday, after which the jury will begin deliberations. After that, it’s anybody’s guess when they may return and what they’ll determine.

But when he’s discovered responsible on even one rely – only one of some doable outcomes – Mr Trump would change into the primary former US president with a felony conviction, and the primary main social gathering candidate to run for the White Home as a felon.

Listed below are some key points to contemplate if a responsible verdict is delivered.

Mr Trump has been free on bail all through the trial. If the decision is responsible, he’ll most likely nonetheless have the ability to go away the courtroom as a free man till Justice Juan Merchan schedules a sentencing listening to.

The decide has a number of components to contemplate in sentencing, together with Mr Trump’s age (77), lack of earlier conviction and presumably his violations of the courtroom’s gag orders.

The sentence might contain a high quality, probation or supervision, or presumably jail time.

Mr Trump would virtually actually enchantment in opposition to a responsible verdict, a course of that might take months and even longer.

His authorized staff would then face the Appellate Division in Manhattan, and presumably the Court docket of Appeals.

This all means it could be extremely unlikely that Mr Trump will go away the courtroom in handcuffs, and he could be anticipated to stay free on bail whereas he appeals.

The proof of grownup movie star Stormy Daniels, whose alleged sexual encounter with Mr Trump is on the coronary heart of the case, could possibly be one motive.

“The extent of element that was supplied [by Ms Daniels] is actually not essential to the telling of the story,” stated Anna Cominsky, a professor at New York Legislation Faculty.

“On the one hand, her element makes her credible and as a prosecutor, you need to present sufficient element so the jury believes what she has to say. Alternatively, there is a line, the place it might change into irrelevant and prejudicial.”

Mr Trump’s defence staff twice known as for a mistrial throughout Ms Daniels’ testimony, motions that have been denied by the decide.

Past that, the novel authorized technique taken by the District Lawyer on this case may additionally present grounds for enchantment.

Falsifying enterprise information is usually a lower-level misdemeanour in New York, however Mr Trump faces extra critical felony prices due to a supposed second crime, an alleged unlawful try and affect the 2016 election.

Some authorized specialists say the shortage of readability over which particular regulation might have been damaged might give the defence a gap to problem the conviction.

It’s doable, although extremely unlikely, that Mr Trump would serve time behind bars within the occasion of a responsible verdict.

The 34 prices he faces are all class E felonies in New York, the bottom tier within the state. Every cost carries a most sentence of 4 years.

There are a number of the reason why Justice Merchan might select a lesser punishment, together with Mr Trump’s age, his lack of earlier convictions, and the truth that the fees contain a non-violent crime.

Additionally it is doable that the decide would weigh the unprecedented nature of the case, maybe selecting to keep away from placing a former president and present candidate behind bars.

There’s additionally a query of practicality. Mr Trump, like all former presidents, is entitled to lifelong safety from the Secret Service. Because of this some brokers would want to guard him in jail.

Even so, it could in all chance be extraordinarily tough to run a jail system with a former president as an inmate. It will be an enormous safety danger and costly to maintain him secure.

“Jail programs care about two issues: safety of the establishment and maintaining prices down,” stated Justin Paperny, director of the jail consulting agency White Collar Recommendation.

With Mr Trump, “it could be a freak present… no warden would permit it”, he stated.

Sure. The US Structure units out comparatively few eligibility necessities for presidential candidates: they have to be a minimum of 35, be a “pure born” US citizen and have lived within the US for a minimum of 14 years. There are not any guidelines blocking candidates with felony information.

However a responsible verdict nonetheless might sway November’s presidential election. A ballot from Bloomberg and Morning Consult earlier this year discovered that 53% of voters in key swing states would refuse to vote for the Republican if he have been convicted.

One other ballot, from Quinnipiac University this month, confirmed 6% of Trump voters could be much less prone to vote for him – consequential in such a decent race.

No. Presidents can situation pardons for many who have dedicated federal offences. The hush-money case in New York is a state matter, which means it could be out of Mr Trump’s attain if he have been to change into president once more.

The identical is true for Mr Trump’s case in Georgia, the place he has been accused of criminally conspiring to overturn his slim defeat by President Joe Biden within the state in the course of the 2020 election. This case is currently tied up in appeals.

Pardon powers are unclear for Mr Trump’s two federal circumstances – one in regards to the alleged mishandling of labeled paperwork, and the opposite on conspiring to overturn the 2020 election.

Within the first, a Trump-appointed decide in Florida has indefinitely postponed the trial, saying setting a date earlier than resolving questions on proof could be “imprudent”. The second excellent federal case additionally was delayed whereas an enchantment from Mr Trump performs out.

Neither are prone to happen earlier than the November election, however even when they did, constitutional students disagree on whether or not a president’s pardon energy consists of himself. Mr Trump could possibly be the primary to attempt.

With reporting from Madeline Halpert and Kayla Epstein