Trump won’t go to jail even if convicted of all charges: Former Judge

Washington: Former US President Donald Trump is unlikely to go to jail even if convicted of all charges after being indicted in a hush money case, former New Jersey Superior Court Judge Andrew Napolitano told Sputnik.

Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in connection to his alleged involvement in a $130,000 hush money payment and subsequent cover-up involving a purported affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which prosecutors elevated from misdemeanors to felonies by arguing that the fraud was linked to violations of election and tax laws.

“The good news for Trump is that even if he’s convicted of all this, he won’t go to jail. This is not something that you go to jail for,” Napolitano said.

The fines the former US president may face, however, “could be heavy even for a man of his wealth,” but he is unlikely to go to jail because of no prior record, Napolitano continued.

“The bad news is that the indictments that are coming are far more serious and they do mandate jail time should he be indicted and convicted on those,” the former judge noted.

Former President Trump currently faces three additional investigations in connection with his purported role in the January 6 riot, his handling of classified documents at his Florida home, and alleged interference with the 2020 Georgia election results.