Dem
47
GOP
53
Donald Trump has been convicted on 34 counts of violating New York state commercial law for cooking the books to hide hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels. This is a state case and does not fall under the DoJ policy of not indicting sitting presidents. Were Trump not president-elect, he would have been sentenced already. But he is president-elect, so what happens next? Putting a president in a state prison would probably not fly.
Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg opposes dismissing the case outright and letting Trump off the hook. He just filed an 82-page brief opposing Trump's request to throw the case out. The brief does not specify what Bragg wants, but offers Judge Juan Merchan a menu of options. Bragg argues strongly that a jury convicted Trump on 34 counts and just throwing out a jury's clear verdict endangers the entire trial-by-jury system.
One option is to freeze the case in place, to be continued on Jan. 20, 2029, when Trump leaves office. There are several mechanisms available in New York State Law for doing this. In one, the courts just pick up from where they left off later on. In another option, the case is stopped, the guilty verdict remains on the books forever, but no sentencing takes place. It is also possible, but unlikely, that Merchan sentences Trump to pay a fine before Jan. 20, and if he does, the case is over and Trump remains a convicted felon who was punished for his crimes. (V)