Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts could have been avoided if his defence had not made a “huge mistake”, a lawyer has claimed.
Trump now faces the prospect of a prison sentence and has yet to deal with three more criminal cases as he continues his bid for the White House.
The Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records after more than nine hours of deliberation over two days in the case stemming from a hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.
In comments following the jury’s verdict, Trump angrily denounced the trial as a “disgrace” and told reporters he’s an “innocent man.”
And one lawyer exclusively told Daily Express US exactly where Trump’s lawyers’ case fell apart.
Trump’s lawyers had sought to paint Daniels as a liar and extortionist who was trying to take down Trump after drawing money and fame from her claims.
But their efforts proved unsuccessful on Thursday after the New York jury convicted Trump on all 34 counts.
When asked if Trump will be sentenced to prison following the guilty verdict, Rahmani said: “I don’t think Trump will be sentenced to prison for the following reasons: They’re Class E felonies under New York, which are the least serious.
“Judge Merchan was hesitant to jail Trump for 10 violations of the gag order. Logistically it would be a nightmare to sentence Trump to Rikers Island or New York State prison with secret service protection.”
The charges of falsifying business records is a Class E felony in New York, the lowest tier of felony charges in the state. It is punishable by up to four years in prison, though the punishment would ultimately be up to the judge and there’s no guarantee he would give Trump time behind bars.
Judge Juan M. Merchan’s sentencing is set for July 11, just days before Republicans are set to formally nominate him for president.
It’s unclear to what extent the judge may factor in the political and logistical complexities of jailing a former president who is running to reclaim the White House. Other punishments could include a fine or probation.
It’s also possible the judge would allow Trump to avoid serving any punishment until after he exhausts his appeals.
Trump faces the threat of more serious prison time in the other three cases he’s facing, but those cases are bogged down by appeals and other legal fights so it remains unclear whether any of them will go to trial before the November election.