As the verdict reverberates across political circles, one of the most pressing inquiries emerges: Can a convicted felon run for president? The answer, unequivocally, is yes
Donald Trump. File pic
According to CNN, former President Donald Trump has been convicted of all 34 felony counts of falsifying company records in New York, generating speculation about his future political plans and voting privileges. The key question raised by the verdict is whether a convicted felon may still run for president. The answer is yes, as stated in the US Constitution, which includes conditions such as natural-born citizenship, a minimum age of 35, and at least 14 years of US residency, all of which Trump meets.
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Despite the 14th Amendment's limits on persons engaged in insurrection, Congress would need to enact a special statute to prevent Trump from running for president. However, this situation is unlikely given the current political scene, according to ANI report.
Trump's sentencing is slated for July 11, which coincides with the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, raising the possibility of a prison sentence, while non-incarceration results are common for Class E felony charges in New York.
Per the report, despite his legal difficulties, Trump's status as a former president entitles him to lifetime Secret Service protection, insuring his safety regardless of his circumstances. While campaigning from prison may appear strange, it has history, as demonstrated by socialist leader Eugene Debs, who ran for president from a federal prison in Atlanta while serving his own term in 1920.
Although Trump's eligibility to run for president remains intact, his voting rights have been called into question following his conviction. State restrictions differ, with Vermont and Maine permitting prisoners to vote. In Florida, where Trump lives, the situation is complicated by a 2018 referendum that re-enfranchised convicted felons but required payment of penalties and costs linked with their sentences.
Given Florida's leniency towards felony conviction jurisdiction, Neil Volz of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition anticipates that Trump's voting rights restoration will face few challenges. However, misunderstanding about fee requirements lingers, preventing many recently jailed people from exercising their voting rights, according to CNN report, stated ANI.
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