Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime on Thursday when a New York jury found him guilty of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence a porn star ahead of the 2016 election. After deliberations over two days, the 12-member jury announced it had found Trump guilty on all 34 counts he faced. Unanimity was required for any verdict. The verdict plunges the United States into unexplored territory ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election, when Trump, the Republican candidate, will try to win the White House back from Democratic President Joe Biden. Trump, 77, has denied wrongdoing and was expected to appeal. He faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison, though others convicted of that crime often receive shorter sentences, fines or probation. Incarceration would not prevent him from campaigning, or taking office if he were to win. Opinion polls show Trump and Biden, 81, locked in a tight race, and Reuters/Ipsos polling has found that a guilty verdict could cost Trump some support from independent and Republican voters. Late in the day, Justice Juan Merchan, overseeing the case, gathered lawyers for both sides along with Trump at 4:15 p.m. (2015 GMT) to tell them that he planned to dismiss the jury for the day at 4:30. He then left the bench. About 20 minutes later, he returned to the bench and informed the parties that the jury had sent a note signed by the foreperson at 4:20 p.m. indicating that it had reached a verdict.
via reuters: Jury finds Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts at hush money trial
siehe auch: Donald Trump found guilty of all charges in hush money trial After five weeks of sometimes blockbuster testimony, the trial of Donald Trump has ended, with the jury finding the former US president guilty on all counts;
