Trump’s Legal Problems Could Go Beyond 2024 According to Top Indian-American Attorney

A leading Indian-American lawyer has stated that the legal battle between former US President Donald Trump and his legal team will unlikely be resolved soon. He also noted that a presidential pardon could not be used in this case.

In a criminal case, Trump, 76, was arraigned Tuesday in New York. He was the first ex-US president to be arrested, indicted and prosecuted for criminal charges.

The Republican candidate for the White House race in 2024 was the party’s leader. He pleaded not guilty before the State Supreme Court Justice Juan M Merchan to 34 criminal charges for falsifying business records.

It would be expected for this case to take two years or more to resolve, which would mean it won’t have been tried by the conventions in 2024. It may not even get tried before the election (in November 2024),” Ravi Batra, an Indian-American lawyer from New York, told PTI on Tuesday after Trump was arraigned in Manhattan.

He was charged with USD 130,000 in hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, to cover up an alleged affair.
Batra stated that there is strong evidence against Trump.

Trump’s election in 2024 could not delay his sentencing. A presidential pardon only applies to federal crimes, not New York State cases. He said it was unlikely that Trump would be elected to the New York State Governor’s office shortly.

Batra stated that the federal president couldn’t pardon anyone for state crimes. Let’s say he won the 2024 elections. It would delay the sentencing. He was not eligible for a pardon. He could not do it himself, and no one could pardon him.

“President Biden could pardon his, for instance, if special counsel Jack Smith brought him charges in federal court and convicted him. Then President Biden, or any subsequent president, could pardon or charge the federal crimes. He explained that only a governor of a state could pardon state crimes.

Trump’s case has been brought to New York. In multiple instances, Trump may be charged in other states or by federal prosecutors.

On a practical level, Trump is not out politicking every time he has to appear in court. It has a consequence because it takes up Trump’s calendar. It doesn’t matter if his lawyers are present in court. He said he could not politicize if his lawyers were in court.

It is, however, a different matter politically. He said he has enough legal, criminal, and civil work.

Batra responded that standard procedures were not followed during Trump’s surrender and arraignment in New York.

“The usual procedure would have been that a person came in and was taken into custody. The Secret Service protects the body of former presidents, so they usually get a mugshot. However, this time, the handcuffs were not used. He said that even New York State law enforcement had been forced to take a back step because they weren’t allowed to handcuff him.”
“This is proper respect shown to the high office of our land. This is right. Batra stated that it is appropriate.