Donald J. Trump is currently facing 34 charges in a Manhattan courtroom related to falsifying business records in connection to a hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels. These charges are all Class E felonies, the lowest category of felonies in New York, with each count carrying a maximum prison sentence of four years.
The judge overseeing Mr. Trump’s trial, Juan M. Merchan, has emphasized the seriousness with which he views white-collar crime and the possibility of Mr. Trump being incarcerated. If he is found guilty of multiple charges, it is likely that Justice Merchan would order a concurrent sentence, meaning Mr. Trump would serve all prison time at the same time.
Despite this, there is no legal obligation for Justice Merchan to send Mr. Trump, who is once again the presumed Republican presidential nominee, to prison if he is convicted by a jury. The judge could opt to sentence him to probation instead.
If Mr. Trump is convicted, he is expected to appeal the decision, a process that could extend over several months or even longer.
Mr. Trump’s next legal step would be to bring the case to the Appellate Division in Manhattan, with a potential further appeal to the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals in Albany.
In essence, any appeal process is unlikely to reach a conclusion before Election Day, meaning Mr. Trump is likely to remain free until the appeal is finalized.
