Guilty on all counts.
That’s the verdict from a New York jury in the trial of former president Donald Trump.
It’s the first time an American president has been convicted of a crime.
The jury in Manhattan found the 45th president guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a conspiracy to influence the 2016 election by hiding how he reimbursed his former fixer Michael Cohen for paying off a porn star Stormy Daniels days before the election.
“Even though a lot of people saw this coming, it’s still mind-blowing to see the former president of the United States now a convicted felon,” said Jorge Vela, defense attorney and former federal prosecutor.
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Vela says the prosecution’s case came down to the credibility of witnesses like Michael Cohen, the only witness who directly tied Mr. Trump to the alleged crime.
“A nine-hour verdict in the case of this magnitude is not a long time to deliberate. To me, it speaks volumes about the strength of the evidence,” said Vela.
Outside the courthouse, people expressed mixed opinions about the verdict.
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“I did my job,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who added, “The jury has spoken.”
But Mr. Trump, maintained his innocence after the verdict, claiming the trial was "rigged and disgraceful."
“The real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people,” Trump told reporters after leaving the courtroom.
The Biden-Harris campaign reacted on social media with a post that read, "There's only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the oval office: at the ballot box."
The Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee will be sentenced by Judge Merchan on July 11, four days ahead of the Republican National Convention.
Vela says the judge has to take into account the ability of New York prison officials to handle Donald Trump going to jail.
He says he expects the court to try to strike a middle ground.
“People are going to be looking to whether or not this court treats Donald Trump differently than any other defendant that is before this court,” said Vela. “One thing that I heard proposed that I think is a viable option is potentially home detention.”
Attorneys for Donald Trump are expected to appeal the verdict.
He faces anywhere from probation to four years in prison.
