After six weeks of trial marked by the statements of controversial witnesses, former president of the United States Donald Trump is getting closer to knowing the final verdict in the trial against him in New York City.
The former president is accused of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a payment of $130,000 to former porn actress Stormy Daniels. in order to buy his silence about an alleged sexual encounter in 2006.
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The trial has already entered its final days. So much The prosecution and the defense of the former president delivered their final arguments this Tuesday in his last chance to convince the jury of Trump’s innocence or guilt. After that, expectedly starting this Wednesday, The 12 members of the jury will deliberate and issue their verdict.
And although the chances of Trump ending up in prison are slim, The ruling could work against him in the November presidential elections, in which even a minimal variation in public opinion will be decisive in defining who will occupy the White House for the next four years.
What are the possible failures and how will they impact the presidential race? We tell you.
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Who testified in the trial against Trump?
Daniels, for example, narrated in detail the sexual encounter that she claims she had with Trump in 2006: from the clothes the former president wore to the use of a condom or the feeling of shame she had after the sexual encounter.
Cohen, for his part, revealed the pressure that Trump exerted to prevent stories of extramarital encounters from coming to light in the midst of the 2016 election campaign or the checks he arranged to keep Daniels’ silence.
What did the parties say in the final arguments this Tuesday?
“(Cohen) came here, raised his right hand and lied to each of you repeatedly. You can’t send someone to prison, you can’t convict someone based on Cohen’s words,” said Blanche, who He also denounced the lack of evidence in the trial against the former president.
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You can’t send someone to prison, you can’t convict someone based on Cohen’s words
Regarding the porn actress, the magnate’s lawyer highlighted that was called to testify only to influence the emotions of the jurors and embarrass
Trump.
Now it is the turn of the prosecution, whose final arguments could continue until Tuesday night. For now, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass has focused on the documentary evidence of the payment made by Trump and in reiterating the political motivations that, in his opinion, prompted the payment to the former porn actress.
”In trying to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016, then-candidate Donald Trump was very worried about losing the election because female voters would abandon him,” the prosecutor was quoted as saying. Washington Post.
What are the possible sentences Trump faces?
From there the decision will be entirely in the hands of the jury members. In fact, For there to be a conviction or acquittal, the 12 members chosen in the first week of the trial must reach a unanimous verdict.
According to the magazine Timethe charges Trump faces “are considered class E felonies in New York, the lowest level of felony charges in the state.” Each count carries a four-year sentence, but the judge in the case will likely choose to impose a concurrent sentence. and that he dictates a sentence of maximum four years.
But it is unlikely that the former president will end up serving a prison sentence if it is taken into account that aspects such as the Republican’s age (77 years), the fact that Trump has no prior conviction or that he is the first former president to face a sentence of this type will also weigh in defining the sentence.
Furthermore, it is most likely that if the former president is found guilty he will appeal the sentence, so a possible prison sentence would be suspended until the appeal is resolved. This, in any case, could take months and would not be resolved before the November elections.
There is also a second scenario: that the juries cannot agree. If that is the case, the robed man could ask them to meet once more and try to reach a verdict. In case they do not succeed, Merchán would have to declare the trial a nullity.
A verdict of annulment would also open new paths: that the prosecution decides to withdraw the charges or, on the contrary, decides to maintain them, in which case the trial would have to be repeated with a new jury. But the new process could take place once the electoral process in the United States ends, since the proximity of the presidential elections in November, and the political agenda they imply, poses a problem for the court’s agenda.
In a last possible scenario, The jury members could determine that the prosecution failed to prove the guilt of the former president, With which the Republican leader would be acquitted of the 34 charges against him and would score a victory that would allow him to defend his story that he is the victim of persecution.
When could there be a verdict?
How will the decision impact the presidential race?
However, you may apply without further difficulty, What Judge Merchán decides will be decisive for the result of the November vote, in which he will face the current president Joe Biden.
An ABC News and Ipsos poll found that 16 percent of Trump voters would reconsider their decision to vote for him if he were convicted, while 4 percent firmly say they would not vote for him if he is found guilty.
And although the Republican base does not seem to care much about the trial against Trump, The group of independents will be decisive in defining whether the Republican magnate will return to the White House or if it will be Biden who will secure four more years in the Oval Office.
ANGIE NATALY RUIZ HURTADO – INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL – EL TIEMPO
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