Donald Trump guilty on all counts in hush-money trial
CBC
Twelve jurors have found former U.S. president Donald Trump guilty on all counts in his hush-money trial in New York, making him the first American president to be convicted of a felony in the nation's history.
The jury on Thursday convicted Trump of falsifying business records in connection with a hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the U.S. presidential election in 2016. Jurors made their decision after a tense five-week trial in Manhattan Criminal Court and two days of deliberations behind closed doors.
Trump, 77, sat expressionless as jurors were polled, one by one, to confirm the verdict was unanimous on all 34 felony counts. Minutes later, he emerged from the courthouse to speak to reporters.
"This was a rigged, disgraceful trial, and the real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people," he said, referring to the upcoming U.S. presidential election this fall.
"We didn't do a thing wrong. I'm an innocent man."
A lawyer for Trump signalled that an appeal will be made as quickly as possible.
"We are going to appeal as quickly as we can. We will seek expedited review of this case," Will Scharf, an attorney for Trump, told Fox News.
Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney, thanked the jurors for their service and said prosecutors followed the facts and the law.
"While this defendant may be unlike any other in American history, we arrived at this trial, and ultimately today at this verdict, in the same manner as every other case that comes through the courtroom doors — by following the facts and the law, and doing so without fear or favour," Bragg said in remarks after the verdict was announced.
Trump faces up to four years in prison, though the sentence for such crimes is usually far shorter, if not addressed with fines or probation. The conviction does not prevent him from campaigning for the presidency or taking office if he beats Democratic President Joe Biden.
Trump will not be jailed before sentencing. As his motorcade left the courthouse Thursday, he gave a thumbs-up through the tinted window of his SUV.
The jurors emerged from their deliberations Thursday to announce they had reached a verdict at 4:20 p.m. ET, just minutes before they were expected to be excused for the day. After taking a few minutes to finish the forms, jurors were called back into the rigid courtroom at 5:03 p.m.
By 5:07 p.m., Trump had been convicted on all counts. His son, Eric, was the only one of his children in the courtroom.
Judge Juan Merchan asked lawyers for both sides whether they had any final comments after the jury left. Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, stood and tried one last time for an acquittal. When the judge denied that request, Blanche asked for a sentencing date in mid- to late July because Trump will be busy with other court dates in several other cases.
This First Person column is the experience of Andrew Stetson, a writer and storyteller in P.E.I. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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