France's Le Pen leaves court before hearing how long she will be barred from running for office

PARIS, March 31 (Reuters) - French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who was convicted in an embezzlement trial on Monday, abruptly left the Paris courtroom before hearing how long she will be banned from running for public office.

After finding Le Pen, eight other former EU lawmakers and 12 parliamentary assistants guilty of embezzling EU funds, the presiding judge said there were grounds for them to receive immediate public office bans. Prosecutors have asked Le Pen receive an immediate five-year ban, which would likely prevent her from running in the 2027 presidential election.