• DandomRude@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Could this ruling result in criminal charges or are there already proceedings underway in this matter? I mean, the judge has determined that Trump is personally responsible for fraud amounting to several hundred million dollars, right? Accordingly, he himself is banned from doing business in the state of New York for the next three years, which makes it clear that Trump himself has been found to have committed fraud. But is that all? Fraud on this scale must also be criminally relevant, mustn’t it? Or is it really possible in the USA to get off the hook simply by paying a fine, even for such serious criminal misconduct?

        • Bigmouse@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          Legally, it can be explained quite easily. Civil liability must only rise to the standard of “preponderance of the evidence”, meaning something like ‘more likely than not’. A criminial conviction however, must rise to the standard of “beyond reasonable doubt”. That’s the difference.

          • DandomRude@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            I get that. I just don’t understand why the public prosecutor’s office didn’t at least try. But hey, maybe they will later on. I guess we will have to wait and see.