What will happen to cases against Trump?

The first former president to be convicted of a felony, Donald Trump will also be the first to take office while several criminal cases against him are still pending. Here's what could happen with each of the four legal challenges he faces.

New York hush-money conviction:
Legal experts say it is unlikely that Trump will face prison time as an older first-time offender.

January 6 case:
Special counsel Jack Smith filed criminal charges against Trump last year over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Trump has pleaded not guilty. The case has been in legal limbo since the Supreme Court ruled this summer that Trump was partially immune from criminal prosecution over official acts committed while in office. Since Trump has won, his criminal problems from the case now "go away", according to former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani. Rahmani said that if Smith refuses to dismiss the case, Trump can simply get rid of him.

Classified documents case:
The judge assigned to this case, Trump-appointee Aileen Cannon, dismissed the charges in July, arguing Jack Smith - who is also leading this case - was improperly appointed. Smith has appealed the ruling. But with Trump set to take office, the classified documents case now faces the same fate as the election case, Rahmani said.

Georgia election case:
That case has faced a number of hurdles, including efforts to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis over her relationship with an attorney she hired to work on the case. An appeals court is in the process of weighing whether Willis should be allowed to stay on the case. But now that Trump is the next president, the case could face even more delays, or possibly dismissal.

The case is expected to be paused during Trump’s time in office, according to legal experts.