According to Will Scharf, a member of Donald Trump's legal team, the former president plans to appeal his conviction on 34 felony counts in New York.
However, in the meantime, he will cooperate with a pre-sentencing investigation.
Donald Trump to Appeal Conviction
The investigation into Trump's conviction, which focuses on allegations of a hush money payment to individual film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election, will involve the Probation Department conducting interviews with Trump.
According to experts, Judge Juan Merchan will receive a sentencing recommendation in a report after the inquiry's conclusion. Todd Blanche, Trump's lawyer, expressed doubt that Trump's team would request a change in his sentencing date.
He expressed his intention to proceed with the date, stating that they "wish to pursue an appeal," in an interview with CBS News.
Trump and his legal team have consistently criticized the case against him as weak and the subsequent trial as a "sham."
They have expressed strong disapproval towards Merchan, whom Scharf, Trump, and the former president's supporters have accused of bias due to a $15 donation he made to President Joe Biden in 2020.
The tensions escalated to the point where Merchan enforced a restriction on Trump, preventing him from making any remarks about the judge's family, witnesses, jurors, and other individuals connected to the trial.
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Trump Avoids Testifying, Cites Concerns Over Judge's Questions
In the days following the conviction, Trump has intensified his criticisms to Merchan, even going so far as to refer to him as a "devil."
Scharf also mentioned Merchan as a reason for Trump's decision not to testify, suggesting that the judge's questioning could have been too broad for the former president, ABC News reported.
In addition to its historical significance, this conviction presents a unique opportunity to impact a race between two individuals widely recognized by the public. Until now, Trump has been perceived as the frontrunner in this race.
In recent days, Democrats have speculated that this news may influence undecided voters and potentially impact the outcome in crucial swing states.
Republicans, on the other hand, were quick to highlight that the conviction would energize Trump's supporters.
However, Governor Wes Moore, a Biden surrogate from Maryland, dismissed this assertion.
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