Winning the presidential elections, Donald Trump not only reclaimed the White House, but also solved or at least postponed almost all of his legal problems. To summarize what will happen in the coming weeks, or rather what is already happening: two of the criminal trials opened against the president-elect will be closed, the other will probably be suspended, as will the definition of the sentence in the trial in which he has already been convicted, the one relating to the famous Stormy Daniels case, be postponed or suspended.
Then there are the civil trials: tax fraud, defamation, sexual abuse. All postponed until 2029, when Trump's second term as president will end.
In an article with the telling title “Say Goodbye to Trump’s Legal Cases,” Politico wrote: “Donald Trump didn’t just beat Kamala Harris. He beat the system that tried to put him in prison. He was already the first former president ever to be charged and convicted of crimes. Now he has become the first convicted felon to win a presidential election. And his victory virtually guarantees that he will never face serious legal liability for a slew of alleged wrongdoing.”
It's already happening: the CNN in fact, he says that the special prosecutor Jack smith, the one who indicted him for the assault on Capitol Hill and the secret papers at Mar-a-Lago, is already reportedly negotiating with the Department of Justice to try to understand how to end criminal proceedings against Trump. Not only that, Trump has already promised him. When he becomes president, he will fire him and all the prosecutors who have prosecuted him. He won't be able to do it himself, but he will have the man he will put in charge of the Department of Justice as attorney general do it.
The Stormy Daniels Case Punishment
Let's start from the trial in which he has already been convicted. Last May 30, the New York court declared Trump guilty for all 34 counts against him in the “Stormy Daniels” trial. According to the jury, the tycoon attempted to cover up the story in the months leading up to the 2016 presidential elections, paying the actress to remain silent about their meeting and falsifying the intended use of the money by issuing false invoices. Judge Juan Merchant was supposed to determine his sentence on July 11, but the decision was postponed twice. The last date set is November 26, but the judge's decision on the appeal by Trump's lawyers is expected on November 12, asking to overturn the conviction in light of the Supreme Court's decision last July that granted a partial immunity to the former president. Even if the appeal is rejected, a new postponement will most likely be made on the 26th. And if the judge sets the sentence? Trump's lawyers will ask for it to be suspended. This will likely lead to January 20, 2025, when presidential immunity will kick in, and the process will remain stalled until the end of Trump's second term.
Assault on Congress and Mar-a-Lago Documents: Trials Toward Closure
Both cases, led by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, are likely to be dismissed, both involving federal crimes. The first concerns the assault on Capitol Hill and the attempt to subvert the 2020 election results, the second concerns instead the documents that Trump allegedly stole from the White House, taking them to his villa in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, the same one where he awaited the 2024 election results.
The new attorney general (a sort of US attorney general) that Trump will appoint after his inauguration will not only have the power to close both trials, but will also be able to fire Smith, who has already been warned by some people close to the president-elect: “He better find himself a new lawyer.".
Election interference in Georgia: Suspension or dismissal
Trump is also accused, this time at the state level, of attempting to interfere with Georgia's election results, in the context of the 2020 presidential election. The federal administration would have no way to intervene in the course of this process (which, as mentioned, is state-run) but the electoral victory will certainly jeopardize the continuation of these proceedings. The trial is currently suspended due to an alleged conflict of interest of District Attorney Fani Willis, but even if it were to resume, it would face archiving or a likely suspension until the end of Trump's second presidency. The CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter, writes that it is highly unlikely that state judges will allow proceedings against a sitting president to proceed.
Civil proceedings
Trump is a defendant in several civil lawsuits for the assault on Congress. His lawyers have appealed immunity, but again, after January 20, the Justice Department could postpone or block everything. Instead, Trump's appeals against several sentences that ordered him to pay more than $500 million for commercial fraud and $88 million to journalist E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of sexual abuse and defamation, could go forward. In both cases, however, Trump's new position and his powers could slow down or unbalance the trials.
