No president in the history of the United States of America had been charged with a crime until April 2023. Now, in the last five months, former president Donald J. Trump has been charged with a total of 91 crimes in four different criminal cases.
What are the crimes and the potential consequences if Trump is found guilty on almost 100 criminal charges?
How Did We Get Here? Recapping Trump’s Criminal Charges
Investigations into former U.S. President Donald J. Trump have been going on for years. State and federal investigators and a special counsel, appointed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, have been looking into multiple incidents when Trump may have committed crimes.
The results of the investigations have been released in a wave of criminal indictments starting in April 2023.
As of August 2023, Trump has been charged with 91 crimes in four different cases. Two cases are federal and two are state cases, being filed in New York and Georgia. All of the charges are felonies.
The cases are serious. If Trump were to be found guilty on all charges and given the highest punishments associated with each law, he could face up to 717.5 years in prison, according to some estimates.
While Trump faces hundreds of years of prison time, it’s still unknown whether or not he’d face traditional imprisonment if convicted of any of the 91 charges. As a person under the protection of the Secret Service, it’s unclear how Trump would remain safe and secure behind bars, according to reporting by The Washington Post.
Related: Misdemeanor vs Felony: What’s the Difference?
The Cases Against Trump
Trump has been indicted in four cases. Let’s break down the details of each criminal case with information as reported by Politico and The Washington Post.
New York State Hush Money Case
The first criminal indictment against Trump was filed in New York state in April 2023. In this case, Trump is accused of engaging in “catch-and-kill” schemes in which he and his associates transferred money between individuals and organizations to prevent the release of damaging information about Trump. The crimes are considered falsifying business records, which is a crime defined in Article 175 of the New York Penal Law.
- Type of Charges: State
- Number of Charges: 34
- Potential Consequences: 136 years
- Prosecutor: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg
Related:Dealing With the Media During a High-Profile Case: What to Expect
Federal Documents Case
Trump’s next criminal indictment came in June 2023. The charges accuse Trump of violating The Presidential Records Act, which requires all records created by a sitting president to be turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at the end of their administration. For two years, the NARA sought documents Trump had in his possession. Trump is accused of not only refusing to return the documents but also attempting to obstruct the process of document retrieval.
- Type of Charges: Federal (Filed in Florida)
- Number of Charges: 40
- Potential Consequences: 450 years in prison
- Prosecutor: Special Counsel Jack Smith
January 6th Case
In August 2023, Trump was indicted on four crimes related to his actions prior to the January 6th insurrection. Between election day and January 6th, Trump is accused of spreading false information about the validity of the election in an effort to stop the transfer of power. He is charged with obstructing an official proceeding and a conspiracy to defraud the United States.
- Type of Charges: Federal (Filed in Washington, DC)
- Number of Charges: 4
- Potential Consequences: 55 years in prison
- Prosecutor: Special Counsel Jack Smith
Election Interference Case
In addition to the federal case accusing Trump of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power, another case in Georgia charged Trump with 13 crimes related to his actions after the election. Trump is accused of trying to reverse Joe Biden’s win in Georgia by urging officials and state lawmakers to reverse the results of the election and plotting to send fake electors to Washington. Trump is named as a defendant in the case along with 18 others.
- Type of Charges: State
- Number of Charges: 13
- Potential Consequences: 71 years and six months
- Prosecutor: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis
Related: What Does It Take to Be an Attorney for a High-Profile Case?
Facing Serious Criminal Charges
Charging a former U.S. president with felony crimes is unprecedented. And now, it has happened 91 times in just four months.
Each case will now wind its way through the legal system, and we will see if a former U.S. president may be sentenced to time behind bars for the first time in the history of the United States.
Even former presidents must go through the legal system when accused of a crime. Every person deserves legal representation when facing criminal charges. If you are facing criminal charges, talk to an experienced criminal defense attorney right away. To talk about a pending case, request your call with TJ Grimaldi today. Schedule or call 813-226-1023 now.
TJ Grimaldi joined McIntyre in 2011. McIntyre recruited TJ to create the divisions of personal injury and family law, as well as to expand the existing criminal defense practice at the firm. During TJ’s tenure at McIntyre, he has helped oversee and grow these practice areas. He continues to practice in these divisions while also expanding his own practice areas to include estate planning and immigration law. TJ is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Florida and the United States District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.
