As the legal consequences continue to unfold for former President Donald Trump, analysts are closely examining the implications of his fourth criminal indictment, this time in Georgia’s Fulton County. Of particular interest is the question of whether he could be pardoned if found guilty.
It is worth mentioning that Trump’s first indictment, which occurred in March in a Manhattan case involving hush-money payments, also pertained to state crimes. In contrast, his second and third indictments were related to federal cases in Miami and Washington, D.C.
Georgia Laws and Potential Pardons for Trump
In a recent turn of events, Georgia’s laws regarding pardons have come into the spotlight. According to the state, individuals seeking to apply for a pardon must wait for at least five years after being released from supervision, including probation and/or parole. This means that if former President Donald Trump were to be convicted in Fulton County, he would face a long wait before being eligible for a pardon.
Predictably, this has garnered attention from Trump’s supporters, who argue that Georgia’s laws should be changed to grant more power to Governor Brian Kemp. Despite past disagreements between Kemp and Trump, the supporters believe that Kemp should have the ability to pardon Trump in this specific situation. They label the current situation as clear election interference.
Apart from the issue of pardons, the Georgia case stands out from other cases involving Trump due to the expected release of a mug shot and televised proceedings.
Market Sentiments and Downbeat News
Interestingly, while these developments unfolded, U.S. stock markets experienced a decline on Tuesday. This decline resulted from downbeat news regarding China’s economy, which seemed to outweigh positive reports on the strength of American consumer spending.
Related: Jim Cramer attributes depressed market sentiment to new Trump indictment, not weak China economic data.
