Yahoo Finance What comes next in Trump's legally perilous path through 2024
The grueling campaign trail became considerably more arduous for former President Donald Trump when a New York jury found him guilty of 34 felonies.
As he makes coast-to-coast appearances in the coming months to solicit votes, the 77-year-old GOP frontrunner will also need to meet with his probation officer, work on his appeal, and show up for a Manhattan sentencing hearing that carries the risk of time behind bars.
And all of that pertains to just one of the four criminal matters that Trump will be juggling as Election Day approaches on Nov. 5.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee is also a defendant in:
A Florida federal case alleging he improperly handled classified documents;
A federal case in the District of Columbia alleging he fueled the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the United States Capitol;
A Georgia case claiming he illegally challenged the results of votes cast in the 2016 presidential election.
What follows is a closer look at how Trump's legal woes will intersect with his second White House bid over the rest of this summer, likely setting the tone for the 2024 campaign.
June
This is a critical month for Trump on several fronts.
On the campaign side, he will need to prepare for a primetime CNN debate with President Joe Biden on June 27.
On the legal side, he will likely meet with a probation officer assigned to evaluate his New York case. This is the person who will recommend to the judge a punishment befitting the defendant’s crimes.
A jury last week found that Trump violated a New York state law that makes it illegal to conspire to sway an election of a person to public office by way of another crime.
Jurors concluded Trump violated that law by disguising $130,000 in hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels as payments for legal services.
While Trump starts his conversations with a probation officer in New York, the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., will likely make another big decision that could have a sizable impact on all criminal matters pending against the former president.
The high court is expected to rule by the end of the month on whether Trump’s immunity from prosecution as president extended to his actions after the 2020 election.
The argument pertains to the case in Georgia. His lawyers argue Trump can’t be prosecuted for trying to subvert the 2020 presidential election because the events at issue were official actions as president — rather than private actions.
If the high court rules in Trump's favor, the ruling could prevent the Georgia case from going forward. It could also halt the other two criminal cases pending against him.
July
July is another seismic month for Trump, starting with his sentencing in the New York case on July 11.
That decision will be made by Judge Juan Merchan, who was in charge of the case during the trial. Trump has criticized Merchan as "highly conflicted" and as the overseer of a "kangaroo court."
The two clashed repeatedly throughout the course of the trial, as Merchan granted Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg's request to impose a gag order against the former president, and the judge fined Trump for violating those terms.
In calculating Trump’s sentence, the judge is permitted to take those violations into account.
Jail time seems unlikely, however. It’s uncommon for defendants convicted of Class E felonies — the lowest level type of felony — to receive a jail sentence, especially when, like Trump, the offender has no prior criminal record.
Another factor favoring no jail time for the former president is his age. And some legal experts say that the potential negative impact that incarcerating a former president could have on the country also makes it more likely that Trump will be permitted to avoid incarceration.
A major political event looms just days after the sentencing, as the Republican National Convention begins on July 15 in Milwaukee. On July 18, Trump is expected to take the stage as the party’s official nominee for president.
August
The month of August will likely mark another critical legal deadline for Trump if he chooses to appeal the New York case, as he said he will do.
That filing has to be made within 30 days of his July 11 sentencing, giving his lawyers until Aug. 10 to prepare an argument for overturning his conviction.
The appeal, which can take months or years, according to legal experts, is likely to extend well beyond the November election. A successful appeal would require Trump to prove that the judge made errors during the course of the criminal case.
Appellate judges have the discretion to overrule a trial court judge and permit a defendant to remain free pending the outcome of their appeal.
A ruling against Trump at the appellate court could prompt him to request a review from the US Supreme Court.
And the high court could take up such a case if at least four of its justices agree to hear it.
Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on Twitter @alexiskweed.
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
