Live updates: Trump hush money trial opening statements

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2:00 p.m. ET, April 22, 2024

These are the charges against Trump in the hush money case

From CNN’s Kara Scannell, Jeremy Herb, Lauren del Valle, Julian Cummings and Laura Dolan

Former US President Donald Trump attends the first day of his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 15.

Angela Weiss/Pool/Getty Images

Donald Trump has faced three civil trials in New York since he left the White House, but this is the first time he faces possible jail time.

The former president is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, stemming from reimbursements made to his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen for hush money payments he made before the 2016 election to an adult film star alleging an affair with Trump. The former president has pleaded not guilty and denied the affair with Stormy Daniels.

Each count represents a separate instance of the alleged misconduct, pointing to different business records associated with a series of repayments to Cohen (ledger entries, checks, stubs, invoices, etc.) that were allegedly falsified to conceal his criminal conduct.

Penalty: The maximum penalty for each count is four years in state prison. However, the judge has discretion on how long any sentence should be and whether to allow any sentences to be served consecutively. He could also sentence Trump to probation.

New York caps sentencing for this type of felony at 20 years. A president has no authority to pardon state crimes.