Judge Juan Marchan concurred with prosecutors and upheld the 34 felony convictions that US President-elect Donald Trump was unable to have overturned in a New York court on Monday.
In the widely reported “hush money” case, $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels was unlawfully concealed. In order to obtain an advantage in the 2016 election, which Trump won, jurors concluded that Trump had paid the money to silence the actress.
Trump’s attorneys had contended that the convictions ought to be reversed in view of the US Supreme Court’s decision that grants presidents extensive immunity for acts committed while in office.However, Merchan said that the ruling did not apply in this instance since Trump made the contributions as a private citizen before to the election, when he was not president.
Additionally, Trump’s attorneys contended that the use of White House staff statements during the trial tainted the proceedings. That was denied by the judge.
A felon in the White House with a conviction?
At the end of May, New York jurors convicted Trump of 34 charges. For the first time in American history, a former president was found guilty of a felony. Trump would be the first American president to hold office while serving as a convicted felon if the conviction is upheld. Judge Merchan’s decision about Trump’s sentencing is still pending. The prosecution has already expressed a willingness to delay the punishment until 2029, following the conclusion of Trump’s second term.
It seems unlikely that the sentence will be announced prior to Trump’s January 20 inauguration. A probationary period or monetary fine is seen to be more likely for a first-time offender, but in the worst scenario, the former and soon-to-be president might receive a term of several years in prison.