UK Law professor talks about next steps in Former President Donald Trump’s verdict

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — The guilty verdict handed down in Former President Donald Trump’s historic hush money criminal trial leading to plenty of reaction from both sides of the aisle.

But what comes next?

“Nothing prevents you from running for federal office as a convicted felon, you just can’t vote for yourself,” says Republican Political Strategist, Tres Watson.

The verdict in the trial against the former president raising questions as to what comes next ahead of November’s presidential election.

“He can run even if even if he were to lose his appeal,” adds Watson.

According to Watson, there’s been other members of congress who have been convicted of various crimes only to be elected or re-elected.

Meantime, Raquel Wilson, an assistant professor of law at UK Rosenberg School of Law says there are three aspects that come next.

“The one that everyone is thinking about is his sentencing, which is set for July 11. But the two other things that will happen are post trial motions, and then an appeal,” she says.

Adding that there are some things that make the case stand out, among them,” two things, I guess, are unusual about this case, one is the vast majority of cases are decided by guilty plea, not by trial. The other is that the defendant himself is extraordinary, but there’s nothing extraordinary about the steps that are taking place between now and next year,” Wilson adds.

Wilson also says the case is also unusual because the defendant is a Former President of the United States but the court proceedings are going as they normally would for anyone else.
Though unlikely, she says the time Donald Trump could serve is four years.
Where he could potentially fulfill that is a big question.

“The length of any jail sentence is very hypothetical and the possibility that he would even serve a jail sentence is hypothetical at this point,” said Wilson.

“I find it very unlikely that if his name if he were Donald Trump, if his name were Donald Smith, in the state of New York, under their current criminal justice laws, I find it very unlikely that he would do any prison time,” adds Watson.

Wilson says trump cannot pardon himself from a state offense, he can only pardon himself from a federal offense.
Sentencing for the former president will take place on July 11.