Trump may evade convictions in all four legal cases amid presidential victory
Reports suggest that Donald Trump's recent electoral win not only paves the way for his return to the White House but also grants him what amounts to a legal shield against the criminal charges he currently faces. Trump could potentially dismiss federal cases and delay state proceedings until after his presidential term ends in four years.
Trump is currently embroiled in four criminal cases, two at the federal level (interference in the 2020 election and the "classified documents" case) and two at the state level (the "hush money" case and interference in Georgia's 2020 election results).
The two federal cases are overseen by Special Counsel Jack Smith, appointed by the Department of Justice. During his campaign, Trump vowed to fire Smith "within two seconds" of taking office, and he could also order the Justice Department to drop the charges.
A previous Supreme Court ruling determined that a sitting president is immune from criminal prosecution for official acts. Even without invoking this immunity, the Justice Department typically refrains from indicting a sitting president. In the "hush money" case, Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, with sentencing initially scheduled for this month. As a first-time offender, he is more likely to face fines and probation, and given his electoral victory, the judge might opt for a lighter sentence.
As for the Georgia case, it has been stalled since June. Under the policy of not prosecuting a sitting president, the case is likely to be frozen during Trump's term.
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