In a historic ruling, a New York jury has found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
This marks the first time a former U.S. president has been convicted of criminal charges.
The verdict was announced on Thursday in a Manhattan courtroom, where Trump had been on trial since April 15. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stemmed from a hush money payment made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election.
According to reports, Trump looked down with a furrowed brow as the jury foreperson read the word “guilty” for each of the 34 counts. The jury reached its decision after 9.5 hours of deliberations, which began on Wednesday.
“The law is the law and it applies to everyone equally. There is no special standard for this defendant,” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told the jury in his closing arguments earlier this week. “You, the jury, have the ability to hold the defendant accountable.”
Trump, who is the presumed Republican nominee for president in 2024, will be sentenced in July. He is the first former U.S. president to be convicted of criminal charges in the nation’s history.
“You gave this matter the attention it deserved, and I want to thank you for that,” Judge Juan Merchan told the jurors following the verdict.
Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, made a motion for acquittal after the jury left the room, but the judge denied the request.
This landmark conviction comes as Trump continues to maintain a strong base of support among Republican voters, despite the growing list of legal challenges he faces. The implications of this ruling on his political future remain to be seen.
