Questions are swirling around the future of former President Donald Trump, after he was convicted on all 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in connection with the Stormy Daniels hush-money case.
The 77-year-old presumptive GOP nominee is the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony after 12 jurors deliberated his fate for just as many hours, CNN reported.
He appeared statuesque as Judge Juan Merchan read aloud the nearly three dozen guilty verdicts in a Manhattan courtroom, before announcing a July 11 sentencing, following six weeks of riveting testimony featuring star witness and former "fixer" Michael Cohen.
Trump faces up to four years in prison for paying Daniels – a former porn star – $130,000 to keep quiet of their affair during the 2016 presidential election.
"This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt," Trump told reporters outside the courtroom, adding that the case is "far from over," according to CBS News.
"The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people, and they know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here," he continued. "We'll fight to the end."
Will Donald Trump Appeal His Conviction?
Trump's attorneys are expected to quickly appeal his conviction, according to the Associated Press.
However, they have 30 days to file a notice with the courts, and six months to file the full appeal, according to the Washington Post. Legal experts said the appeals court would likely stay Trump's sentence until after a formal decision is handed down.
Will Donald Trump Have to Go to Prison?
Although Trump faces up to four years in prison for each of the 34 Class E felonies, he might be able to escape prison time altogether if Merchan permits.
"The judge could sentence him to anything between zero and the max," attorney and legal expert Dan Horwitz said, according to CBS. "So he could sentence him to a period of months in jail, he could sentence him to a period of weeks in jail, he could sentence him to a sentence where he is required, for example, to go to jail every weekend for a period of time and then serve the rest of the sentence on probation."
Trump could also be ordered to wear an ankle monitor and sentenced to home detention, which Horowitz said he believes will be the most likely outcome.
Trump's repeated violation of Merchan's gag order could also come into play when the judge decides on prison time. Merchan accused Trump several times of violating the order that prohibited him from commenting publicly on the people involved in the trial.
When Will Donald Trump Be Sentenced?
Sentencing for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is slated for July 11, days before the Republican National Convention.
Both sides were ordered to submit sentencing memos by June 13, according to CNBC.
Before July, Trump will also likely sit through a pre-sentencing interview with a probation officer where they will go over his mental health, and personal and criminal history, which contains no prior convictions.
