Donald Trump found guilty in criminal trial

Businessman and former North American president Donald Trump was tried this Thursday (30) by the New York Court and found guilty by the jury. Among the 34 charges to which he was responding, the most serious concerns the payment of a considerable amount to a porn actress, during the elections that made him president of the United States in 2016.

The trial began on April 15 and for the first time, a former president sat in the dock to face criminal charges. The sentence will be handed down by judge Juan Merchan in a few days. Despite the various charges, classified as Class E (the mildest), the maximum sentence should be up to 4 years, and with several possibilities of being served, including in freedom.

Serving a light sentence and continuing in the electoral dispute

If convicted, Trump will have several favorable points for serving the sentence, including his advanced age and the non-violent nature of the crime committed. In addition to being the first time he has been criminally convicted, the tycoon has already been president of the nation and could still be elected again in the next elections.

American laws are considered favorable to convicted people. In the country, even if a person is in prison, they can run for election to public office, such as the presidency of the republic. The American Constitution says that it is enough for the individual to have been born on American soil, at least 35 years old and to have been a resident of the country for 14 years.

Experts point out that judge Juan Merchan may impose a light sentence on the former president, such as paying a fine and probation for a specified period of time. Another point that is discussed concerns presidential pardon. Trump is a pre-candidate in the November 5 elections. If he is elected, he himself has the possibility of “forgiving himself”, but there are doubts about the legitimacy of the act, as the decision is given by the governor of the state where the defendant was convicted. In Trump's case, New York.

_{Donald Trump during a pre-election event (Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/@realdonaldtrump)}

Scandals, electoral crimes and procedural fraud

Donald Trump's life is shrouded in scandals and accusations of all kinds. One of the most recent is related to the 2020 elections, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Accused of disrupting the last election, claiming that there was fraud in the votes, he is considered the intellectual leader of the invasion of the American Parliament on January 6, 2021.

Trump is also responding for the attempt to change the count in the state of Georgia, which gave a favorable opinion to Biden. Furthermore, after leaving the White House, he appropriated confidential documents, taking them to properties he owned. For all these crimes, he will be tried in the coming months.

The accusation that led Donald Trump to the dock refers to the amount paid to “shut up” porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. The amount was US$130,000 and was used to avoid causing a scandal that could harm his election at that time. same year, which the Democratic candidate and former first lady, Hillary Clinton, won.

Other accusations refer to the agreement that Trump and his team had with the director of the tabloid “National Enquirer” to stifle matters that hindered his political plans. The agreement included the purchase of agendas unfavorable to the then candidate.

Donald Trump is a defendant in three other criminal cases, but the forecast is that there will be no trials in 2024. The businessman is counting on his electoral victory in the coming months to avoid being brought to new trials.

Featured photo: Former president and presidential candidate of the United States, Donald Trump (Reproduction/Instagram/@realdonaldtrump)