Former President Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts by a New York jury on Thursday, marking the first time a former U.S. president has been found guilty of a crime.
The jury, composed of 12 New Yorkers, concluded that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, CBS News reports. The verdict came after two days of deliberations, finding Trump guilty on all counts.
This conviction makes Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential race, a convicted felon.
The verdict was announced in a Manhattan courtroom where Trump had been on trial for the past six weeks. After the verdict, Trump angrily denounced the decision outside the courtroom, pledging to contest the conviction.
Prosecutors argued that Trump orchestrated a scheme to falsify checks and related records to hide an alleged sexual encounter with Daniels from voters. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s team maintained that this conspiracy spanned Trump’s 2016 campaign and continued into his first year as president. Trump denied the affair with Daniels and pleaded not guilty.
Judge Juan Merchan scheduled sentencing for July 11. Trump faces up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each count. However, Judge Merchan has considerable discretion in sentencing, potentially limiting the punishment to a fine, probation, or home confinement.
This is a developing story. ESSENCE will continue to provide updates as they become available.
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