Former US president Donald Trump on Thursday was found guilty in an unprecedented trial over a hush-money payment scheme, making him the first sitting or former US president to ever be convicted of a crime.
A New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up payments made to people claiming to have scandalous stories during his 2016 electoral campaign.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who formally brought the charges after an investigation, commended the jurors for their work.
“Their deliberations led them to a unanimous conclusion beyond the reasonable doubt, that the defendant, Donald J Trump, is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree to conceal a scheme to corrupt the 2016 election,” he said in a press briefing.
“While this defendant may be unlike any other in American history, we arrived at this trial and, ultimately, today, this verdict in the same manner as every other case that comes through the courtroom doors, by following the facts and the law and doing so without fear or favour.”
Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges and his legal team is expected to appeal the verdict. His lawyers tried for an acquittal after the verdict but Mr Merchan denied the request.
The 12-member jury heard testimony from more than 20 witnesses over the course of five weeks in a Manhattan court.
Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen and adult film star Stormy Daniels were two major witnesses who testified in the trial, tackling the $130,000 hush-money payment at the heart of the case.
After beginning deliberations on Wednesday, jurors discussed evidence for about 11 hours.
“You were engaged in a difficult and stressful task, you gave this matter the attention it deserved,” Mr Merchan said to the jury after reading the verdict in a Manhattan courtroom.
Trump did not testify and at times appeared to doze off during the proceedings. He also repeatedly breached a gag order, resulting in a fine and a threat of jail time by Mr Merchan.
The decision is uncharted territory, as the US justice system has never convicted or sentenced a former president who is running for office again.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, days before Trump is expected to be nominated at the Republican National Convention for the November 5 presidential election.
Falsifying business records can result in up to four years in prison.
Imprisonment is unlikely for first-time offenders, and New York prosecutors have not indicated if they will try to have him jailed. It is also unclear if Mr Merchan will take up that line of sentencing.
A convicted felon can run for office, and Trump has called the trial “election interference”.
“This was a rigged, disgraceful trial,” he told news reporters after the verdict. “I am a very innocent man.”
Mr Cohen called the conviction of his former boss “an important day for accountability and the rule of law”.
Trump is also is facing federal and state charges in other cases over alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election results and mishandling classified documents after his presidency ended.
White House counsel office spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement: “We respect the rule of law, and have no additional comment.”
The New York case is seen to be the only one to make it to trial before the November presidential election.
The re-election campaign for President Joe Biden said that the conviction shows that “no one is above the law”.
“Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain,” Biden-Harris 2024 campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement.
Both Trump and the Biden campaign have said that Americans will make the final choice this November.
“The real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people,” Trump said.
His campaign already sent out a fundraising call after the verdict.
Mr Tyler also said: “There is only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box.”
Easter%20Sunday
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Past winners of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2016 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2014 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2012 Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2011 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2010 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2009 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
Company%20Profile
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Racecard
%3Cp%3E5pm%3A%20Al%20Bateen%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%3Cbr%3E5.30pm%3A%20Al%20Khaleej%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E6pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E6.30pm%3A%20Al%20Nahyan%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E7pm%3A%20Al%20Karamah%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%3A%20Al%20Salam%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
UK%20record%20temperature
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
SUNDAY'S ABU DHABI T10 MATCHES
Northern Warriors v Team Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangla Tigers v Karnataka Tuskers, 5.45pm
Qalandars v Maratha Arabians, 8pm
SPECS
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