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34 counts
Donald Trump became the first former president in American history convicted of felony crimes after a New York jury found him guilty of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor.
It took jurors about 9.5 hours of deliberation before they decided to convict Trump on all 34 counts.
The former president sat stone-faced as the verdict was being read, while cheering from the street below — where supporters and detractors of the former president were gathered — could be heard in the hallway on the 15th floor of the courthouse.
The verdict is a stunning legal reckoning for Trump and exposes him to potential prison time in the city where his manipulations of the tabloid press helped catapult him from a real estate tycoon to reality television star and ultimately president. As he seeks a return to the White House in this year's election, the judgment presents voters with another test of their willingness to accept Trump's boundary-breaking behavior.
He will almost undoubtedly appeal, and Texas Republicans were quick to rush to his defense.
"This was a sham show trial. The Kangaroo Court will never stand on appeal," Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on social media. "Americans deserve better than a sitting U.S. President weaponizing our justice system against a political opponent— all to win an election."
 | Edward McKinley, state government reporter |
Who's up, who's down
Although we've still a long way to go in 2024, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Thursday announced her plans to seek a third term in office in 2026. The judge's comments come amid political speculation that she may have sought a statewide position or an appointment in the federal government if President Joe Biden wins reelection in November.
Down: Shawn Thierry.
The Texas House Democrat was kicked out of office this week by her voters, and now she'll face a $500 fine from the Texas Ethics Commission for failing to file a campaign finance report. Government transparency advocates say the situation exemplifies the state's lax approach to enforcing campaign finance laws, which don't limit the size of contributions and approach violations with puny fines.
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What else is going on in Texas
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Pick of the day
Photo by: Staff photographer
After an investigative report from Hearst Newspapers raised new and troubling questions about the efficacy of the multimillion dollar ShotSpotter program in Houston, Mayor John Whitmire announced he was planning to ditch it.
What else I'm reading
The Texas Tribune: Texas runoff yields no clear winner among GOP's warring factions, setting stage for power struggle
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