Dr. Benjamin Mersky, Professor of Political Science at ODU, explains
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — For the first time in American history, a former U.S. president has been convicted of a crime.
Former President Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with the hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.
Dr. Benjamin Melsky, Associate Professor of Political Science at Old Dominion University, spoke about the significance of this historic ruling.
“This is a new chapter in our legal textbooks,” Melsky said. “It’s a new chapter in American history that will be debated for generations to come.”
He added that while Trump is still eligible to run for president in November, this could have some impact on future elections.
But the main question on people’s minds is this: Could Trump go to prison?
Melsky told 10 On Your Side that if a member of the public violates a gag order and doesn’t show remorse, harsh sentences will be imposed.
But the former president is no ordinary man, he said.
“But this is an unprecedented case,” Melsky said, “so the judge could do a variety of things with the former president. He could go to jail, he could give him weekend jail time, he could do community service, he could give him probation, like house arrest, or he could give him a house arrest conviction.”
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott told 10 On Your Side’s Raven Payne that this proves that no one is above the law.
“I think it’s important that we all accept the verdict,” Scott said. “The jury did their job, President Trump is guilty on all 34 counts, and hopefully he accepts the verdict, accepts his punishment, and doesn’t try to undermine our judicial system or our electoral system.”
Many lawmakers went to X to make statements about the ruling.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin called it a “politically motivated prosecution orchestrated by people who want to ‘get’ President Trump.”
Attorney General Jason Miyares also released a statement saying, “In America, we don’t try to jail our political opponents, we try to defeat them at the polls.”
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
