Donald Trump's Hometown Newspaper Cheers Guilty Verdict: 'Damning'

Donald Trump's guilty verdict in his criminal hush money case equates to the former president finally being held accountable, according to a new editorial in his hometown paper, The Palm Beach Post.

A 12-person Manhattan jury on Thursday found the presumptive Republican presidential nominee guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the months leading up to the 2016 election.

"Defendant Donald Trump is now a 'convicted felon.' He becomes the first former president and presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee to earn that historic but ignoble label. He now has a criminal record, a damning complication for any candidate seeking political office, much less the presidency of the United States," reads the editorial published on Friday.

Trump said on Thursday after the verdict that the month-long trial was a "disgrace" and "rigged by a conflicted judge who was corrupt." He proceeded to say that "the real verdict" will take place on election day, November 5, and vowed that he is fighting for the country and the Constitution.

The editorial says that Trump's lack of contrition should be considered as part of his July 11 sentencing, just days prior to the Republican National Convention.

"Trump will likely appeal, and there will be those, mostly political acolytes who have curried favor with him, who will try to discredit the process, hoping to damage the reputations of the judge, jury and the legal system itself to save their party's presidential prospects," it says.

"Let them. They may try to disparage the trial but the result speaks for itself. Trump was charged with crimes, and like every other defendant he had his day in court. The rule of law prevailed."

Syracuse University law professor David Driesen agreed, saying in a statement emailed to Newsweek that the unanimous verdict reached by independent citizens does not in any way implicate Judge Juan Merchan or the prosecution.

"This was a fair trial," Driesen said. "Trump's baseless attacks on prosecutors and judges are scandalous and the willingness of many Republican politicians to back up his nonsense dangerous and despicable."

Various legal experts told Newsweek that the former president's chances of going to prison are "slim," though this is an unprecedented scenario in which the possibility still exists.

New York City-based attorney Nicole Brenecki said she doesn't see imprisonment in this case due to the facts surrounding the defendant.

"He is a former president, 77 years old, with no prior criminal record, and the only aggravating circumstance to consider is his violation of the gag order," Brenecki said. "If he does go to prison, any specifics as to the location and conditions will be formally established as part of sentencing."

U.S. Secret Service has likely been involved in discussions as to potential incarceration, she added.