Former United States President Donald Trump has been found guilty by a jury in New York on Thursday of 34 charges including tax fraud and manipulation of accounting records to cover up a sexual scandal.
The sentence indicates that the former president falsified accounting records to cover up a sexual scandal that threatened his rise to the White House in 2016, which prosecutors deemed a deception of the American people.
The 12 New Yorkers who made up Trump's jury argued that the decision was unanimous and eliminates the possibility of a hung jury in the first criminal trial against a former president.
The verdict was announced at the end of Thursday afternoon after two days of deliberations.
Judge Juan Merchan's ruling will be known on July 11th.
Trump faced 34 criminal charges stemming from an investigation into a payment of money that his former fixer, Michael Cohen, made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign, to keep her from revealing that she had a relationship with the tycoon a decade earlier.
The case focused on the financial operations of the Trump Organization, the former president's family company, and the payment of $130,000 to the actress.
This decision represents a historic milestone in the country's history, where up until now no former president had faced criminal charges or been convicted by a criminal court.
Trump's defense argued that the case was politically motivated and that there was not enough evidence for a conviction against the former president, who plans to run for the presidency again in 2024.
His most fervent followers have already begun to denounce the verdict as a political attack, while his opponents see the decision as a victory for justice and accountability in the country.
The reactions to Trump's conviction have been diverse. Political figures from both sides of the spectrum have offered their opinions, with Democrats emphasizing the importance of justice and Republicans questioning the impartiality of the judicial process. On social media, the debate has also been intense, with hashtags like #TrumpConvicted and #JusticeForAll trending.
Trump and his legal team have announced that they will appeal the decision, which could lead to a prolonged legal battle.
Meanwhile, the Trump Organization is expected to face significant fines and possible restrictions in its commercial operations.
The conviction for a felony requires a sentence of up to four years behind bars, but it is possible that Trump may receive parole when sentenced.
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