Donald Trump Expected to Appeal Against Conviction to Delay His Sentence

Will Scharf, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, announced that the Trump legal team is ready to appeal the jury's verdict after the Republican frontrunner was found guilty of all 34 felony counts on Thursday, May 30.

This appeal could delay the start of his sentence until the court reaches a decision. As per People Magazine, the conviction for falsifying business records was handed down more than a year after Trump’s indictment was unsealed in Manhattan. 

After two days of deliberation, the 12-person jury reached a unanimous verdict. "If there were to be a conviction here, which we believe would be a gravely unjust verdict, we would speedily appeal to the New York Appellate Division, potentially to the New York Court of Appeals as well. And we'll take that step if we get there," Scharf told CNN's Jake Tapper.

"But so far, we think that appears to be a highly unlikely outcome here," Scharf added. Following the jury's verdict, Trump's legal team swiftly motioned for the judge to overturn the decision and declare him innocent, but their request was promptly denied. Exiting the courthouse, the former president briefly addressed reporters, decrying the trial as 'rigged' and affirming his determination to persevere until the end. 

Trump's conviction by the jury opens the possibility of a sentence of up to four years in prison, but there is also the chance of a lesser punishment such as probation and a fine. New York Judge, Juan Merchan, will expectedly announce the quantum of punishment during their next court appearance on July 11th. To challenge a criminal conviction in New York, the individual or their legal representative must submit a notice of appeal within 30 days of the judgment, per the NY Courts website. Once the court receives the appeal and trial transcript, the process kicks off with the filing of a 'Return on Appeal'.

The duration of an appeal varies, and Trump can ask the court to postpone the commencement of his sentence until the Appeals Court reaches a decision. This delay might offer Trump the opportunity to circumvent the repercussions of the conviction until after Election Day.

Trump is facing 34 state felony charges brought forth by the Manhattan District Attorney's office over falsification of business records. Prosecutors claim that although the payments were recorded as legal retainer fees on financial documents, they assert that these transactions were, in fact, reimbursements for hush money provided to adult film star, Stormy Daniels. During his testimony, Trump's former attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, implicated Trump in the hush money scheme, stating that he paid $130,000 with Trump's approval and was assured of reimbursement for the same.