Trump Criminal Affairs - What Will Happen next?

Former President Donald Trump's legal problems continue to exacerbate, putting not only his presidential race at risk but also his personal freedom.

Last week, Mr. Trump was indicted for four criminal acts in connection with his alleged attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 elections, which he lost to rival Joe Biden.

This was the third criminal indictment against him in more than four months, two formalities are from federal authorities and the other from the state of New York. In total, all three acts contain 78 criminal charges against the former president.

A fourth indictment is expected to be filed at the end of this month in the southern state of Georgia, where a local prosecutor has investigated Mr. Trump and his allies for election intervention in this state.

According to a account made by Portal éPoliticoı, if convicted on all charges declared so far and given the maximum sentence, Mr. Trump could face up to 641 years in prison.

However, trials have not yet been held, and legal experts say the former president can avoid prison sentences, negotiating with prosecutors for light sentences in exchange for admission of guilt and appealing possible sentences.

Mr. Trump has declared himself innocent in all three cases and named the charges “election intervention” created to undermine his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election.

Legal problems have not damaged it among other republican candidates for president. He continues to dominate with a sharp contrast to others. But with at least two court processes expected to begin next year, criminal cases will likely cast a dark shadow over the presidential race and news headlines.

Here's a look at where the cases are.

Secret Payers

This case, announced in March, made Mr. Trump, the first and only American president to whom the criminal indictment arises.

On March 30th, a grand jury in Manhattan charged him with 34 counts of counterfeiting business data on payments made to a star of pornographic films in 2016.

In an unprecedented scene, Mr. Trump surrendered to the authorities five days later and appeared before the judge in Manhattan.

Mr. Trump's lawyers sought to shift the case from the state court of New York to a federal court, arguing that his actions, which he was accused of, were linked to his official duties as president.

But in July, a federal judge dismissed the argument, setting the stage for a trial in a state court.

The trial is scheduled for March 25, 2024.

classified documents

Actadia set up by special prosecutor Jack Smith marks the first federal indictment against an American president on duty, or dismissed.

The charges followed prosecutor Smith's month-long investigation into the secret documents Mr. Trump had taken with him contrary to the law after leaving the White House in January 2021.

On June 8th, a grand jury in Miami indicted Mr. Trump for 37 criminal charges, including 31 counts of illegal possession of national defence information and one count of plotting to undermine justice. Part of the charges is Mr. Trump's close associate, Walt Natta, was charged. Mr. Trump was officially charged on June 13th.

In late July, prosecutors filed three additional charges and added another defendant to the case -- the maintenance worker in Mar-a-Lago, Carlos de Oliveira.

According to the new charges, Mr. Trump and his two assistants are charged with asking another officer of “to include film footage of security cameras at the Mar-a-Lago Club to prevent images from being given to the large federal jury”.

Mr. Trump said he was innocent of the new charges.

The trial for the case is scheduled to begin on May 20, 2024, at Fort Pierce, Florida.

The court's date, set by Judge Aileen Canon, was a compromise between a request by prosecutors for the trial to begin in December and Mr. Trump's lawyer's request to postpone it after the presidential elections.

2020 elections

In what many see as the most serious indictment against Mr. Trump, it is the indictment focused on the former president's alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential elections.

Last week, prosecutor Smith issued an indictment containing four counts against Mr. Trump, three for government conspiracy and another for obstruction of justice.

The Act came as a result of a massive investigation of the Justice Department for the January 6, 2021 riots in Congress by a crowd of supporters of Mr. Trump.

On August 3rd, the former president appeared before the judge in Washington. Prosecutors have a week to propose a trial date.

A preliminary hearing before the Tanja Chutkan case judge is scheduled for August 28th.

After setting up the act, Mr. Trump complained on his social platform “Truth Social” that this cannot be a fair trial in Washington, a city that votes for Democrats.

A judge will have to approve a request for changing the court's country, and it remains unclear whether it will be admitted.

Interference in Georgia's Elections

Mr. Trump could face criminal charges in Georgia's Fulton County, where District Prosecutor Fani Willis has investigated the efforts of Mr. Trump and his allies to overthrow the outcome of presidential elections.

A major special jury reviewed the case and published a report in January recommending criminal charges.

Prosecutor Willis said she would announce her decision by mid-August.

More than twelve people have been notified by prosecutor Willis's office that they are under investigation, suggesting that some, or all, may face charges.

Implications for the Presidential Race

Although the outcome of the charges remains uncertain, there is a consensus among legal experts, which even if convicted, Mr. Trump could continue the electoral campaign to be elected president.

The American Constitution stipulates three main requirements for presidential candidates: to be American citizens born in the United States, to be at least 35 and to have lived in the United States for no less than 14 years. However, the Constitution does not speak of cases of accused candidates, or convicted by courts.

That means Mr. Trump can run for president as a convicted criminal or even behind bars, as did Eugene V. Debs, presidential candidate of the Socialist Party, more than a century ago. / VOA