This morning, many of us are emerging from the late coverage last night after the conviction of former President Donald Trump on 34 felonies. I was in the courtroom for the verdict, which hit like a thunderclap (particularly after a strange snafu with the judge). The question that everyone is asking: what happens next?
The scene in the court was a madhouse. Judge Juan Merchan told the court that the jury had not reached a verdict and would be dismissed for the day. Many reporters in the overflow courtroom were leaving when Merchan suddenly said that there was a verdict. People came running back into the courtroom. That was followed by 34 guilty verdicts.
I am obviously saddened by the verdict, but not surprised. Until the very end, I was hopeful that there would be a hung jury, a result that could restore some integrity to the New York criminal justice system. However, I previously noted that the jury instructions made conviction much more likely. I referred to the deliberations as a legal “canned hunt” due to instructions that made conviction a near certainty.
You could feel the weight of history in the courtroom, though we still have to see what history was made. For some, it was the conviction of the first president of a felony. For others, it was the key moment where the weaponization of the criminal system became clear and inescapable. It was both, obviously. Yet, the trial fulfilled narratives on both sides.
I ran outside to join the coverage. (One humorous moment was an officer screaming at reporters piling out of the courtroom to “walk not run.” It did not work.) It looked like the final judgment with everyone panicking to find an exit.
The scene outside the courtroom was surreal. The Trump supporters were outraged. The anti-Trump protesters were ecstatic, dancing and celebrating in the street.
While I have written a book about what I have called “the age of rage,” I am always shocked by such scenes. There is a dehumanizing element of these moments as people celebrate not just the first conviction of a president but a person. Rage is addictive and contagious. That was vividly evident outside the courtroom.
So what happens next?
Obviously, appeals will be taken. As I said last night, we must keep the faith. Indeed, moments like this require us to take a leap of faith in a nation that remains committed to the rule of law. Manhattan is neither the entirety of the country nor the legal system. I believe that these convictions will be overturned, but it will take time. Judge Merchan committed, in my view, layers of reversible error. Eventually, this case may reach the United States Supreme Court.
It has been suggested that an appeal could be taken directly to the Supreme Court. I find that doubtful after the Supreme Court rejected an expedited process for Special Counsel Jack Smith in his federal prosecutions. It will work first through the New York appellate system.
As for the criminal process, Trump will have to meet with a probation officer for an interview. That officer will make recommendations to the court.
There is a possibility of a jail sentence for felonies that come with up to four years for each offense. Any jail sentences would almost certainly run concurrently. However, any jail sentence would be ridiculous in Manhattan for an elderly first-offender in a non-violent offense.
Consistent with his past commentary, MSNBC legal analyst and former Mueller aide Andrew Weissmann predicted that Merchan will give Trump jail time. He is not alone as legal analysts seemed to get caught up in a thrill-kill conviction.
It is much more likely that Merchan will impose a sentence without a jail sentence, though with fines. The most appropriate, in my view, would be a conditional discharge that requires Trump not to commit a new crime or face potential imprisonment.
Merchan could also tailor a sentence to require home confinement or even weekend jailing. Those options would raise serious conflicts with his campaigning and obviously, if elected, serving as president. Even the probation process will be awkward since a convicted defendant ordinarily has to get approval for any travel outside of the state from his probation officer.
Sentences can also include community service, counseling and other requirements.
After his ruling in this trial, it is impossible to rule anything out. However, any jail sentence would add even more outrage to an abuse of the criminal law system.
People are pretty much the same around the world in how they react to political pressure. So long as they believe they and their compatriots have a fair shake in elections they will generally accept defeat or victory with equanimity even if sorely disappointed. If they perceive the system of justice to be fairly administered and if the system allows fair access for all they will accept even draconian laws.
Once they come to believe that elections are corrupt and that justice is unavailable because it is controlled by an elite that dispenses “their justice” unfairly or with favor then they will rebel in ways large and small. Civil disobedience is only the first step but once that is put down violence and societal disruption are the only avenues left short of revolution. We are moving down this path at our own peril and political violence is not far away.
The Democrats destruction of faith in our system of justice will not be easlity mended. If there was a partisan divide previously it is now a chasm and growing. Haven’t we seen how this goes in other banana Republics? We are proveing we are not fit for self rule.
So dems, is it worth it?
Trump and the Republicans have spent many years undermining our institutions. They sold millions of their followers the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. They are now selling the awful notion that Trump is above the law and any attempt to hold him accountable for his crimes is not allowed. Republicans do not care one lick about rule of law, or will of voters, or any American value. History will eventually portray the Republicans for the authoritarian maniacs they are. As for being violent, go ask the hundreds of J6 traitors and Babbitt how well that worked for them. Republicans will be defeated just the rest of the enemies of the USA such as the British, the Confederacy, the Japanese, the Communists, and the Nazis.
Professor Turley, you can desperately hold on to the fantasy that the tens of millions of Trump supporters, perhaps more than half of the country, still believe in the criminal justice system and the courts, but it’s a delusion. We don’t. Justice has been eviscerated by the Law and left dying in our eyes. The weaponization of the Law is complete and we no longer respect it, nor do we feel the need to obey it. The entire judicial system is in tatters. From police who blindly obey radically offensive orders with a zeal once found in Germany and the Soviet Union, to officers of the state and even the black robed, self proclaimed gods who rule them all. Professor Turley, your confidence rings hollow to us. There is a new chapter in America, and we who are offended by this travesty will write it. The Declaration of Independence spells very clearly that We The People have a recognized remedy for what has happened. It is beginning. Where it leads is not clear, but the winds of change are blowing.
The walls of our once-great country are tumbling down. Leftists like Weissmann, Raskin, Schiff, and lost souls like Liz Cheney are happy today. This sort of nonsense will lead to ruin. Isn’t that evident to simple-minded people? A sad time for America…
I think the democrats opened a can of worms. There are more than 3,000 county prosecutors in the U.S. Any one of them could now be going through the books, looking for some way to bring a local charge against Biden or Trump. And of course, should Trump be re-elected, the precedent has been set to go after Biden on numerous criminal offenses such as keeping classified documents in his garage. This is a short-sited, ego driven win by Biden and Bragg that is very likely to have long-term damaging effects on on the U.S. legal and political systems.
TIN, that falls apart because Red States and Jurisdictions, are populated by Judges that mirror Prof Turley. Rule of law, and adherence to the Constitution. A judge with this case presented to him, would have Dismissed the case before the Jury could be selected. Merchan was selected for this case because he is owned by the DNC
iowan2 said: “that falls apart because Red States and Jurisdictions, are populated by Judges that mirror Prof Turley. Rule of law, and adherence to the Constitution.”
I think you are mistaken. That may be the initial inclination, but the reality is that those judges will feel unrelenting pressure from their own populace, including many of their direct supporters, to forsake justice for revenge, and, over time, that pressure will most likely prevail. Those who resist that pressure will probably ultimately be removed from office, or resign when they tire of fighting it. The time may have come to pick a side, or go into deep isolation somewhere safe.
Team DNC has no doubt already strategized “sentencing” around making it impossible for Trump to Effectively Campaign against Biden!
All in the name of “Defending Democracy” of course!
To save Democracy:
The Democrats have
Spied upon the opposition
Created a fake dossier and perpetuated a continuous false harassment and subversive campaign against a duly elected President
Deceived the American people of the truth of Bidens corruption
Coordinated a fraudulent election
Weaponized the FBI, IRS and DOJ
Yet the Democrats say Trump is a wannabe dictator, seems to me they are the ones that don’t want to surrender power. It’s coming now and they can’t stop it, prepare for the black swan visit.
This ig going to catapult President Trump into the Whitehouse. The MSM will report how badly this reflects in the polling, you won’t hear Trump without convicted felon from hereon. The real polls will show differently and Trump will prevail, if there is anyone left that doesn’t see this for what it is, they’re unreachable anyway. If they did it to him, they can do it to you!
Democrat Jamie Raskin and his comrades in Congress are already scheming to not certify Trump’s win and prevent Trump from taking office –if he wins in November. Dems are introducing legislation to bar convicted felons from high office, etc.
In addition, the Democrat Party will activate its shock troops to burn, loot, riot, murder. The Left will set cities on fire if Trump wins in November. They will not allow a moments’ peace in this country if Trump succeeds.
Barring convicted felons from being able to assume control of the oval office isn’t a bad idea. It’s a much worse transgression than being 34 years old after all.
More importantly, installing a president who couldn’t pass a security clearance is also wildly inefficient as well. Standards have to be higher than just being able to take the help of a foreign power to win the electoral college through targeted disinformation campaigns.
“Dems are introducing legislation to bar convicted felons from high office, etc.”
“Barring convicted felons from being able to assume control of the oval office isn’t a bad idea”
Except for that Whole Constitution thingy.
“More importantly, installing a president who couldn’t pass a security clearance is also wildly inefficient”
The President determines who has security clearance.
You are stupid. Meaning you lack the capacity to learn. Constitutional structure has been explained to you. But you are too stupid to learn the facts.
Here’s the absolute idiocy of your position: when the Constitution was written there was no such thing as security clearance. These issues are dealt with in real time, by ammendment if necessary. There’s no reason a group of people who thought their slaves only counted as being 3/5ths human should’ve known about that. Or female Healthcare. Or equal voting rights. Or modern medical procedures.
So rail on in your constant wrongness all you want. The Constitution has to be a living document consisting of something more than just a grouping of national suicide pacts.
Why should someone proven to be undeserving of a security clearance be given the keys to ultimate control just because they’re able to convince a bunch of ass rimming idiots such as yourself to want to self immolate in a cult worship exercise???
Why should someone proven to be undeserving of a security clearance be given the keys to ultimate control just because they’re able to convince a bunch of ass rimming idiots such as yourself to want to self immolate in a cult worship exercise??
Nice rant fueled by your own stupidity.
You have been informed about enumerated powers, and separation of powers. You absolutely lack the mental capacity to learn the simple Constitutional concepts.
Classification lives wholly in the White House, with Plenary power wielded by the President and those to who are delegated, limited powers, that manage the classification system.
As is usual, I called our your stupidity, and so lash out at the facts that expose your stupidity.
(I,m forced to abandon the use of the word “ignorance”, because this has been explained to you before, but you just cant learn.
Democrats and others have succumbed to the eternal human temptation to tyranny. The promise that was our system of government is now a dead aspiration. The greatest power in America is now what a conveniently assassinated President had threatened to break into a thousand pieces, completely unaccountable to representative governance.
Legal experts detail possible grounds for appeal of Trump conviction: ‘no crime here’
https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/legal-experts-say-trump-conviction-does-have-grounds-appeal`
Falsification of business records is a crime. Trump committed that crime multiple times, and a jury found him guilty of it.
Just like the Jan 6 “committee” investigation, this trial was a sham and you know it. We all know it.
You are saying that to classify the payments to Cohen as ‘Legal Expenses” is a crime. In the GAPP world, what would be the appropriate classification of these payments? (hint – there is none.) During the trial, it was never stated by the prosecution how this should have been classified on the books.
And maybe a pony will come with the deal, no?
Anonymous said: “And maybe a pony will come with the deal, no?”
I think the pony has performed its one trick, and is about to be rendered for dog food.
Biden stated that he was a “uniter” during the campaign. He could have stopped this fiasco, but his and others are full of blind, seething hatred. This has driven a deep wedge into this nation and will prove destructive, no matter what side a person stands. This never should have made it to a courtroom. The only reason it did was for one man.
What is to stop a red state AG from doing the same to their political enemies?
This is an aggressive misuse of legal power to damage a political opponent. Our enemies are laughing at us. We have truly gone off the deep end.
E.M.
All the reason more to vote for Trump and against Democrats.
Biden has no control over state prosecutions, and no, it’s not a misuse of legal power to indict someone who broke the law and to leave it to a jury to decide if they’re convinced by the evidence. That’s a totally routine use of legal power; defendants face that use of legal power every day.
Don’t be naive. This prosecution wouldn’t have happened if Biden did not want it to.
Is that why his #3 at DOJ quit his job there and took a giant pay cut to go to work for Bragg to bring this bullsheet case? Is that why Fani Willis met at the Whitehouse on multiple occasions to prepare her bullsheet case?
Riddled with multiple errors, that’s what multiple Constitutional scholars have repeatedly reported, both left and right. Biden just guaranteed the election to Trump!
E.M.:1. Biden has NO authority to “stop” a New York City prosecutor from pursuing criminal charges against anyone. Whatever MAGA media told you that is lying. 2. You ask what’s to stop a red state prosecutor from going after Trump? Facts and laws would stop that. Biden has not committed any crimes , no matter how many times MAGA media and Republicans claim that he has. Trump is guilty of doing what he was convicted of.
I’ve repeatedly asked how or why the undisputed evidence was insufficient to justify prosecuting Trump. I’ve yet to get any logical answer. Even if you discount the testimony of Cohen and Daniels, the paper trail and testimony of insiders like Hicks and Pecker, and Trump’s admission that the payment to Cohen was a reimbursement, are more than sufficient for a guilty verdict.
The fact is that Trump is really guilty of election interference — he falsified business records to conceal his trysts with a porn actress and nude model, and if this had been revealed right after the Access Hollywood tape revelation that Hicks testified was devastating to his campaign— together this information might have doomed his campaign. Coupled with that is the plot to “catch and kill “ adverse publicity about Trump’s sexual liaisons that Pecker testified was intended to help Trump’s campaign—not to spare his family. That’s why the business records were falsified— to hide the truth from the American people—so the reimbursement was “grossed up” by doubling it to make Cohen whole and misrepresenting it as attorney fees. Pecker’s $150,000 payment to Karen McDougal exceeded the maximum campaign donation limit of $12,000, so it was a campaign finance violation.
Explain to me why this evidence was not sufficient to justify the guilty verdict or why Trump should get away with falsifying business records and violating campaign finance laws to hide the truth from American voters.
As to incarceration, in addition to the 34 felony convictions, Trump violated the gag order 11 times. He has insulted the judge, prosecutors, witnesses and legal system. No one else could get away with such egregious behavior. I think a short period of time behind bars would vindicate the rule of law and is warranted.
+100
The fact is that Trump is really guilty of election interference
Not in the indictment. Not in the Verdict.
How short GiGi, just long enough to interfere with his election campaign? How long GiGi? How long in your unbiased opinion of the fat pig should he get? What about Hillary, how long before she gets indicted for the mountains of felonies? You’re pathetic by whatever name you’re using.
It’s not just the 34 felony convictions–it’s the blatant disrespect for the Judge and repeated violations of the gag order even after being sanctioned. I’ve literally seen people hauled out of court to the slammer for making disrespectful gestures toward a judge, mouthing off while a witness is testifying and refusing to shut up. Trump violated the gag order 11 times before the verdict, and his rambling, incoherent grievance statement this morning should be at least one more count. How could any court anywhere in this country jail someone for contempt of court at let Trump slide? If anyone should respect the rule of law, it should be a presidential candidate. Instead, Trump trashes the judge, his family, the prosecutor and his staff, and witnesses. If I were on the bench, he’d get at least 14 days as a guest of the City of New York in the 4-star graybar hotel. 30 might be more like it.
The real problem here is the extent to which Trump has always gotten away with breaking the law, lying , falsifying business records, falsifying financial statements, lying on loan applications, assaulting women, defaming people, cheating people, lying, bullying people and generally doing as he pleased, according to his niece, Dr. Mary Trump. So, the legal system has finally caught up with him. It’s about time.
The judge whose daughters making millions off the DNC? The judge that is violating the State ethics code? He’s as unbiased as you are tool.
There will be retribution, Americans see this for what it is and most all are done!
The judge’s daughter is an ADULT, not living at home. What she does with her life and for her employment is not relevant to her father’s service on the bench. There is no imputed conflict because what an adult child does for a living. The Judge ran Trump’s lawyer’s demand for recusal past a judicial ethics committee and they found NO conflict of interest.
WHERE’S the proof of bias? Because Trump lost? Because the Judge refused to dismiss the charges, which were valid under NY law? Judge Merchan bent over backwards to avoid jailing Trump for contempt, which is what Trump desperately wanted so he could play the victim, and his rulings were fair, despite all of the abuse heaped on him by Trump and MAGA media. He was even-tempered. Even Turley admitted that the instructions given to the jury were standard. The most-damning facts came from Trump’s own documents and insiders like Pecker and Hicks.
For WHAT should there be “retribution”? Because Trump was finally brought to justice for things he did to perpetrate lies during the 2016 election, in which he hid his misconduct because he KNEW it would offend women voters if another sexual scandal was revealed? So, Judges and potential jurors should feel intimidated if Trump is brought to trial before them? THIS “retribution” threat is the kind of rhetoric used by gangsters and in banana republics, not in a Constitutional democracy. MOST Americans: 1. never voted for Trump; 2. never will vote for Trump; 3. respect the rule of law and duly–elected judges.
Would they have put Trump through this trial if he were NOT running for president?
Yes. He broke the law, and he was brought to trial like lots of other lawbreakers.
LOL.
Bragg refused to prosecute this “Case” when he got elected. Two of his prosecutors quit out of anger. One wrote a book. Political pressure was applied and the DoJ sent over the #3 guy in rank, to prosecute the case. The 3rd most powerful DoJ employee agreed to go into the gutter and schlep state grunt work.
Yea sure that happens every week.
If he had not been running for president, then he wouldn’t have needed to falsify business records to cover up the reimbursement for the payoff as attorney fees in order to mislead the American people about his character. So, no. The motivation for falsifying the records and accepting a $150K benefit from David Pecker to “catch and kill” the Karen McDougal story was to help his campaign.
No surprise here.
We all knew it was a sham trial.
Justice is not served, it has been aborted.
I agree with the good professor. Let it work through the appeal process and see it get overturned.
In the mean time, I think I am going to buy a Trump t-shirt or hat.
Same here. We’re going for the Never Surrender.
https://secure.winred.com/trump-national-committee-jfc/storefront/?collection=neversurrender#
Thank you for that!
I like the polo shirts.
Jonathan Turley has joined his Fox News compadres in bringing up his views of all the ways Trump has been wronged without acknowledging the Occam’s Razor posibility that Trump was actually guilty of a crime, 34 crimes according to a jury. When there is violence, not even an if anymore. Turley will have played his role in stirring up so-called patriots in the defense of a self-centered narcissist. When there is blood, some will be on Turley’s hands.
I don’t think Trump will get jail time. Turley suggests that Trump shouldn’t be sentenced to anything that inconveniences him like home confinement or approval for travel like any other convicted felon in the country. Once again he calls for a separate justice system for Trump than the rest of us. What was Cohen’s sentence after conviction in federal court based on mostly the same set of facts? Since when do we fail to sentence people because they’re busy.
Anyone who treats this as a just verdict, or fair trial, fair judge, fair anything should not be allowed to comment.
You can sit down and shut it.
LOL. Don’t expect Turley to agree with you, and it’s his blog, not yours.
It’s very likely fox owns the rights to this blog now and Turley came along with the deal.
A prosecutor saying it does not make it fact.
A judge saying it does not make it lawful.
A jury saying it does not make it true. Or just.
How about Hicks saying that another story about Trump having a sexual liaison with a porn star, coming after the “grab them by the puxxy” tape might have sunk his candidacy? How about Pecker testifying that he engaged in “catch and kill” and paid Karen McDougal $150K to help Trump’s candidacy, which violated the $12,000 legal limit for a campaign donation? How about Allen Weisselberg’s handwritten statement that the $130K was “grossed up” to cover Cohen’s tax liability? How about Trump’s admission that the payment to Cohen was “reimbursement”?
Does this evidence make the charges true, or are all of these Trump insiders and Trump documents also lying? Todd Blanche had nothing to refute this evidence. Nothing.
+100
If you believe Trump is guilty what is your opinion of Clintons crimes and why she was not charged? We know she paid $6MM for “legal services” to influence an election through the Russia hoax which was obviously more damaging to the electorate and the whole country than anything Trump did but she was not charged while Trump was. Why would you think that happened? I’d really like to understand the thinking of a partisan dem on this.
Crickets but hey now that we see the Statute of Limitations is meaningless it really opens the doors!
If one really wants to apply Occam’s Razor (the simplest explanation is usually the best one) then that principle would say that Trump was prosecuted because he was running for President. That’s the simplest explanation.
Or maybe a man with 89 charges against him in four jurisdictions is actually a criminal. 34 down and 55 to go.
This is a sad day for American jurisprudence. Surely not the most egregious example, but the one with the most notoriety and with an obvious political intent. Not a big fan of the Orange man, but this cannot stand. Here’s hoping that the NY appeals court has more respect for the system than did the trial judge
“Here’s hoping that the NY appeals court has more respect for the system than did the trial judge”
They don’t. The entire NY courts system is corrupt.
Boycott the entire state of New York.
Difficult to make this 100 percent, but it should not be difficult to make this painful.
“Boycott the entire state of New York.”
Hear, hear!
If you open so much as a lemonade stand in NY, you have a death wish.
Merchan, Biden, DEM’s Kangroo Court. They want to tie down Trump. Jail? I can see them doing? but it would be extremely foolish and would back fire on them? Some say, Johnthan would have to comment, but Trump could run to the Supreme Court and I assume Merchan, the DEM’s etc would not want this. The DEM’s and Merchan have destroyed the US Legal system, especially in NY/Blue State, DC. I see this whole thing Back Firing on the DEM’s and Biden.
This is what you get for jumping on a train lead by a guy who’s been in and out of courts most his adult life. Did 6 bankruptcies not mean anything to you? Or being permanently barred from ever hosting a charity after defrauding a charity for kids with cancer? Virtually every trump run organization over the past twenty years has been under investigation. And yet magadonians are acting like this is something new. It’s a pattern of behavior going back dozens of years. Yall knew, or should have known what this guy was before you hired him in the first place. Little too late now to start acting shocked. So tell us.. Was the validation for your hate worth it? Because the -Only- good trump did for this country is expose who among us, is the worst of us.
Is the gag order still in effect? If so, when does it run out or get lifted? Seems like the reasons given for it must be OBE now.
I was a staunch supporter of Trump in 2016, although I voted for Cruz in the primary as I thought Trump would get bored with a Presidency. Big supporter in 2020 but was not thrilled with him running again in 2024. I would vote for him, but rather tepidly. Fast forward to today- I have not given to a campaign in ages, but gave 25.00 to Trump today and now I am in Full Steam Ahead mode. I appreciate your clarity on the matter and I have no doubt that they will throw everything at Trump that they can and as far as I can see, the man does not even need to hit the campaign trail- the more they attack him, the more the people rally around him.
I very much appreciate your coverage and analysis, thank you.
Great article as usual. How far will the judge go? If history is any guide like the last one Trump faced, it’s not going to be fair.
This, obviously, is all about winning the the election for Biden. Merchan will put Trump in jail.
Blackbeard,
Call it what it is, election interference.
That might just seal the deal…for Trump; but the left is so full of hubris that they are craving to see him behind bars…go ahead, make our day.