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TRUMP’S FELONY CONVICTION: WHAT IT MEANS FOR HIS RIGHTS AND FUTURE

In a surprise move, a judge sentenced President-elect Donald Trump to an unconditional discharge on Friday, closing the case against him without any punishment. However, unless his conviction for falsifying business records is overturned, Trump will have felonies on his criminal record, affecting some of his rights. Despite his felony conviction, Trump will still be able to vote in Florida, where he is registered. Florida restores voting rights to individuals convicted of felonies after they complete their sentence, except for those convicted of murder or sex offenses. However, under federal law, Trump will not be allowed to possess firearms. He will also be required to provide a DNA sample for New York’s crime databank, a noninvasive process involving a cheek swab. Trump’s conviction may also impact his business ventures. He may be barred from holding liquor licenses, and his felony conviction could prevent him from reentering the casino business. Despite these implications, Trump’s conviction does not prevent him from becoming president. Federal law does not bar individuals with felony convictions from holding federal office. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has the power to pardon Trump, but it seems unlikely. When asked about the possibility of a pardon, Hochul stated, “No one will be treated any better, or any worse, by me when I make those life-altering decisions… So, no one gets extra favors, no one gets treated worse.” Trump has maintained his innocence, describing the case against him as a “hoax” perpetrated by Democrats. His conviction is a significant development in his ongoing legal battles. SOURCE: AP News

TRUMP TO BE SENTENCED ON JANUARY 10 FOR FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS

President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced on January 10 for 34 counts of falsifying business records, a judge ruled on Friday. This decision almost certainly means Trump will be the first felon to serve as a U.S. president. New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan stated that he does not intend to sentence Trump to jail. Instead, he plans to order an “unconditional discharge,” a designation in New York criminal courts for a non-jail and non-probation sentence that carries no other obligations. Trump was convicted in May of falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. He faced up to four years in prison, but many experts said incarceration was unlikely due to his age and lack of prior convictions. In his decision, Merchan rejected Trump’s arguments that he should be granted immunity from prosecution as president-elect. Merchan called Trump’s claims a “novel theory” of presidential immunity that would amount to an abuse of his legal discretion. “The Defendant has presented no valid argument to convince this Court otherwise,” Merchan said. “Binding precedent does not provide that an individual, upon becoming President, can retroactively dismiss or vacate prior criminal acts nor does it grant blanket Presidential-elect immunity.” SOURCE: Washington Post News.