(NewsNation) — After a jury convicted former President Donald Trump on all 34 criminal charges against the presumptive Republican nominee in his hush money trial Thursday, some are asking what punishment Trump will face as his November rematch against President Joe Biden looms.
Trump could face prison time, be placed on probation or be fined in connection to the conviction, which centered around falsifying business records. Trump is expected to appeal the decision of the jury after the seven men and five women deliberated for more than eight hours over two days before reaching a verdict.
Trump is scheduled to be sentenced July 11, just days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
In a news conference Thursday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to comment on whether his sentencing recommendation would include prison time for Trump. He called the matter an “active, ongoing” situation.
What if Donald Trump is sent to prison?
If Trump is sentenced to prison time by a judge, the U.S. Secret Service faces an unprecedented challenge — protecting a former president behind bars.
By law, the agency must guard Trump around the clock. Even before opening statements began in the hush money trial, the Secret Service began preparing for the possibility Trump could be incarcerated.
Keeping Trump separate from other inmates and screening his food and items would be required. A rotating Secret Service detail would work 24/7, officials said. While firearms are banned in prisons, the agents would be armed.
Secret Service protections are not just afforded to current and former presidents but also to other high-ranking officials and immediate family members of protectees.
Trump faces more legal challenges
The case is the first of four criminal cases against the former president to go to trial and may be the only one to be decided before the election in November. The case centered around payments made to Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult film star Stormy Daniels, who said they had affairs with Trump and were paid to stay quiet ahead of the 2016 election. Trump then allegedly paid former fixer Michael Cohen back for the payments.
Trump has repeatedly maintained his innocence, saying the charges against him were rigged and that the proceedings were a political witch hunt.
Prosecutors charge the records were falsified to hide $130,000 in payments that were tied to Daniels’ allegations of a sexual relationship with Trump.
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