TRUMP HUSH-MONEY TRIAL
How many days could the Trump hush-money trial last and when will the verdict be known?
As the criminal hush-money trial against former US president Donald Trump continues in New York, we take a look at how long the case is likely to last.
The criminal hush-money trial against former US president Donald Trump, which began in New York earlier this month, is expected to run for up to two months.
When could the Trump hush-money trial finish?
According to a media advisory issued by the New York County Supreme Court, where the case is being heard, it is anticipated that proceedings will last for “approximately six to eight weeks”.
The trial against Trump, who is the first former or sitting US president to be indicted on criminal charges, began with jury selection on 15 April. Opening statements were then heard seven days later.
The timeline offered by the court, which will recess on Wednesdays, suggests that we can expect the case to reach its conclusion sometime between the end of May and mid-June.
What is the hush-money trial about?
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for this November’s US presidential election, is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, after allegedly concealing hush-money payments made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, says she was paid to keep quiet about a 2006 encounter with Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, where she alleges the pair had consensual sex in his hotel suite. Trump had married his current wife, Melania, the year before.
Led by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, prosecutors say Trump reimbursed his former lawyer Michael Cohen for a $130,000 payment to Daniels in October 2016, before falsely recording the reimbursement as legal expenses.
In the process, the prosecution says, Trump sought to “unlawfully influence” the outcome of the 2016 presidential election by avoiding negative publicity over his alleged encounter with Daniels. The 77-year-old “hid damaging information from the voting public”, prosecutors claim. In November 2016′s election, he defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to become the 45th president of the US.
Trump, who denies having sex with Daniels, has pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him.
Could Trump go to prison if found guilty?
Each of the 34 charges against Trump carries a potential jail term of up to four years, but according to CNN legal analyst Laura Coates, New York limits sentencing for such felonies at a total of 20 years.
And, were Trump to get prison time, trial judge Juan M. Merchan may opt for a much lighter sentence, Coates says: “Because the crimes involve nonviolent offences and Trump does not have a criminal record, the judge could […] consider jailing him for a period that is but a fraction of the maximum penalty.”
Merchan may even “forego prison entirely and place him on probation”, Coates adds - an outcome that defence attorney and former Brooklyn prosecutor Arthur Aidala sees as a likely one if Trump is convicted.
“I can’t say for absolute 100% certainty there can’t be jail because on the books, he can go to jail,” Aidala told Business Insider, “[but] I do not see a scenario where Donald Trump spends one minute in jail.”
Criminal defence attorney Michael Mullen agrees. “For a non-violent [Class] E felony with no identifiable victim, a similarly situated defendant would normally not get jail time,” Mullen explained to local New York news outlet PIX11. Class E felonies are the lowest-level felony in New York State.
Could Trump pardon himself if elected president?
No, he could not. As the Office of the Pardon Attorney notes, a US president can only issue pardons for federal crimes. In the hush-money trial, he has been charged with state crimes, so he could only be pardoned by the governor of New York.
Watch - Trump wishes Melania happy birthday from hush-money trial:
What other criminal indictments is Trump facing?
The hush-money trial in New York is just one of four criminal cases against the former president. Trump has also been indicted in a federal case relating to his apparent efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump also faces similar charges in Georgia.
Meanwhile, Trump has been hit with a federal indictment for allegedly mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House.