How we prepared for Trump verdict

+ the history of pelting politicians US Edition - Today's top story: Trump found guilty: 5 key aspects of the trial explained by a law professor [View in browser]( US Edition | 6 June 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Oftentimes, good journalism is all about the right preparation. My colleagues and I on the politics and society team had known for several weeks that a historic verdict in Donald Trump’s business fraud felony case in New York was about to be handed down. But we didn’t know, of course, exactly when or what the jury’s decision might be. So, we planned as best we could, working with a tentative deadline that could have been hours or months away. We commissioned and edited stories on prosecutions of leaders in foreign countries, for example, that were relevant but still had a long shelf life. And then these stories sat waiting, 90% completed, until the looming verdict could help dictate those final few lines to complete the articles. I also lined up Gabriel Jack Chin, a criminal law scholar at the University of California, Davis, to be ready at a moment’s notice to help me explain the verdict to readers. Jack had previously helped our readers easily digest the Trump indictments and other legal issues over the past few years. Finally, the verdict came down on May 30, shortly before 5 p.m. I immediately called Jack. “How does your schedule look for tonight?” I asked. “The jury has a verdict.” [We worked quickly together on the phone](, as Jack answered my questions and we combed through the language and content. Our story analyzing the verdict came out three hours later. In it, Jack analyzes what’s behind the 34 felony counts, the factors that determine sentencing, and how this verdict could influence Trump’s other criminal cases. Amy Lieberman Politics + Society Editor Donald Trump leaves the Manhattan courtroom after being found guilty on all 34 counts in his hush money trial on May 30, 2024. Justin Lane-Pool/Getty Images [Trump found guilty: 5 key aspects of the trial explained by a law professor]( Gabriel J. Chin, University of California, Davis The New York conviction of Trump is unlikely to end the legal saga, which could quickly be appealed and possibly rise to the level of the US Supreme Court. A New York disciplinary authority found that Trump campaign attorney Rudy Giuliani ‘communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements’ and ordered him suspended from practicing law. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images [Trump’s lawyers in lawsuits claiming he won in 2020 are getting punished for abusing courts and making unsupported claims and false statements]( Elise J. Bean, Wayne State University Federal judges and bar associations have meted out punishment to the many attorneys who filed meritless lawsuits claiming – without evidence – that the 2020 presidential election results were invalid. Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York on May 30, 2024, after being found guilty on 34 felony counts. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images [Trump’s rhetoric after his felony conviction is designed to distract, stoke fear and ease the way for an anti-democratic strongman]( Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University Donald Trump’s reaction to his conviction provides a textbook case of demagoguery – which erodes democratic institutions and can prime an audience for violence. His followers went right along. [School boards, long locally focused and nonpartisan, get dragged into the national political culture wars]( Kathleen Knight Abowitz, Miami University A tradition of nonpartisanship on locally elected school boards is changing, following a national shift toward divisive political partisanship. [Wisconsin is a key swing state this year – and has a history of being unpredictable]( Jonathan J. Kasparek, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wisconsin voters elected conservative and liberal politicians in almost equal numbers from 2008 to 2022 − in this election, issues such as abortion, the economy and immigration are key for voters. [500 years ago, Machiavelli warned the public not to get complacent in the face of self-interested charismatic figures]( Vickie B. Sullivan, Tufts University Renaissance philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli dissected the threats authoritarian figures pose to representative government. [Removing Cuba from list of countries ‘not fully cooperating’ over terrorism may presage wider rapprochement – if politics allows]( Jason M. Blazakis, Middlebury Cuban has yo-yoed on and off the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. Is the Biden administration changing that? - [All shook up? UK’s Nigel Farage is the latest to bear the brunt of pelting as popular politics]( Nusrat S. Chowdhury, Amherst College From ancient Rome to modern times, pelting has been a performance of crowd defiance in all its joyous, furious and lawbreaking glory. - [Only 1.6% of US doctors were Black in 1906 – and the legacy of inequality in medical education has not yet been erased]( Benjamin Chrisinger, Tufts University Increased mistrust of the US medical profession and higher mortality rates are two consequences of the lack of Black doctors. - [Biden’s immigration order won’t fix problems quickly – 4 things to know about what’s changing]( Jean Lantz Reisz, University of Southern California Biden’s executive order won’t apply to undocumented minors who enter the US alone. And the order will require the help of Mexico and other countries. - [Life on the US-Mexico border is chaotic. An immigration scholar explains why − and it’s not for the reasons that some GOP lawmakers claim]( - [Yes, Donald Trump has a point about political prosecution]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Giving Today]( • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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