(The Center Square) – New York County’s top prosecutor wouldn’t discuss what sentence prosecutors will seek for former President Donald Trump after a jury convicted Trump of 34 felonies.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said that information will come in court filings before the scheduled sentencing hearing on July 11. That’s four days before the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Republicans are set to select Trump as the 2024 nominee.
Bragg declined to provide details when asked what sentence prosecutors would recommend to Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the trial. Defense attorneys and the probation officer would also file recommendations to the judge before sentencing. Because this is Trump’s first time being convicted and the allegations are of a noviolent nature, legal pundits said he should not face jail time.
Trump also is expected to appeal the verdict.
“We will speak in our court filings, as we’ve done throughout this proceeding,” he said.
Bragg also declined to say if his office would object to Trump seeking a stay of enforcement on a potential jail sentence.
“I’m going to let our words in court speak for themselves,” the prosecutor said. “When we get to the sentencing matter – I’m not going to address hypotheticals. They raise arguments, we’ll respond.”
A jury convicted Trump, 77, of 34 counts of falsifying business records. Under New York state law, falsifying business records in the first degree is a Class E felony with a maximum sentence of four years in prison per count.
Trump is preparing to face President Joe Biden in a November rematch for the White House.
In New York, the case is focused on Trump’s alleged sexual encounter with an adult film actress in 2006 and a $130,000 payment to her in 2016 to keep her quiet ahead of the 2016 election. Trump denied the encounter happened. A jury convicted him on Thursday.
Bragg thanked the jury, court officers and prosecutors.
