News Roundup

Published for NC Criminal Law on May 31, 2024.

Former President Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies in his "hush money" trial in New York yesterday, making him the first former president in U.S. history to be convicted of a crime. On their second day of deliberations, the jury found that Trump illegally falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to an adult film star before the 2016 election. He could face up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each count and is set to be sentenced on July 11. Since the verdict was handed down, legal scholars have weighed in on the implications of Trump’s conviction on his potential presidential bid, including whether he would be sentenced to any prison time, whether he could pardon himself as president, and whether or not he would retain any voting rights. Among these hot topics include whether or not his conviction renders him ineligible to serve as president. This article suggests that his convictions won’t stop him from becoming president if the voters put him back in office. While the Constitution imposes some prerequisites for the presidency—those surrounding age, citizenship, and residency—it is silent on the impact of a felony conviction on a president's ability to serve. Political deepfaking results in $6 million fine. A few months ago, political consultant Steve Kramer admitted to NBC News that he was behind a robocall impersonating President Joe Biden's voice. This week, he was indicted on 26 charges in New Hampshire and fined $6 million by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for [...]