Former President Trump Found Guilty On 34 Felony Counts: What To Know

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On Thursday March 30, 2024, former president Donald J. Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree by a New York jury. Falsifying business records in the first degree is a non-violent class “E” felony in the state of New York, which is considered the least serious classification in the state. This makes Donald Trump the very first former United States president to be convicted of a felony. 

Class “E” felonies can result in a prison sentence of up to four years in state prison; however, there is no minimum sentence for first-time offenders. Essentially, this means that the former president will likely receive a sentence of probation or a conditional discharge. The former president’s sentencing is set to take place on July 11th, just before GOP leaders are expected to formally announce the Republican nominee for this year’s election. It is unclear at this time how this case will affect the GOP nomination. 

Sources:

NYS open legislation | nysenate.gov. (n.d.-a). https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/175.10

Rob. (n.d.). The different levels of felonies in New York. New York Criminal Defense Lawyers. https://www.tilemlawfirm.com/the-different-levels-of-felonies-in-new-york.html#:~:text=N0n%2Dviolent%20class%20%E2%80%9CE%E2%80%9D,on%20a%20%E2%80%9CE%E2%80%9D%20felony. 

Bustillo, X., & Fung, H. (2024, May 30). Trump is found guilty on 34 felony counts. read the counts here. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/05/30/g-s1-1848/trump-hush-money-trial-34-counts 

Sisak, M. R., Peltz, J., Tucker, E., & Price, M. L. (2024, May 30). Jury in Trump hush money trial resumes deliberations after rehearing instructions, testimony. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0