Will former US president Donald Trump appeal the New York court’s verdict on criminal charges in the hush money trial? 

The legal experts said that it is near-certain that he will file an appeal against the verdict of his historic conviction.

A jury of 12 judges found Trump guilty of fudging the official records of payments he gave to his former lawyer Michael Cohen to be paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in return for her silence before the 2016 election about the alleged 2006 encounter. Trump paid a $130,000 payment to Daniels.

To get the verdict overturned, the 77-year-old president will have to prove that the judge made some significant mistakes in the case.

Trump’s legal team is likely to centre their arguments on the testimony of Stormy Daniels. Legal experts said that former president Trump will challenge the verdict by arguing that Daniels’ detailed account of their alleged encounter was overly salacious and prejudicial.

The former adult film star testified before the court on May 7. Her testimony included explicit details of their alleged encounter.

Trump’s lawyers will argue that Daniels’ testimony was unnecessary in a case focused on document falsification.

“They’re going to claim that the testimony of Stormy Daniels was too salacious, outside the bounds, prejudiced the jury,” said George Grasso, a retired New York state judge who attended the trial.

Trump’s defence will also challenge the prosecution’s legal theory, claiming it was improperly applied to elevate misdemeanour charges to felonies. Additionally, they will argue that Merchan’s decisions, including allowing the detailed testimony, constituted judicial errors.

Legal analysts suggest that, despite these arguments, the appeal faces long odds. Rebecca Roiphe, a professor at New York Law School, noted, “None of Merchan’s decisions stood out as obvious mistakes, lessening Trump’s chances of overturning the conviction.”

The appeal process is expected to be lengthy, potentially extending past the November 2024 presidential election.