The sentencing procedure for our first criminally convicted felon President is due to begin at 9:30 AM Eastern/6:30 AM Pacific.
Let’s keep all the comments and posts wrangled here.
Live coverage should be… Oh, I’m just going to say “everywhere”. CNN, MSNBC, etc. etc. This is history so everyone should have it.
Edit As expected, Trump is appearing remotely.
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-sentencing-01-10-25/index.html
Prosecution is asking for more time to read the probation report, apparently they haven’t read it yet.
Prosecution wants “Unconditional Discharge” then layed out every reason why it shouldn’t be unconditional. Trump showed no remorse, believes he’s above the law, that the court has no authority over him.
Defense is now making their presentation.
Trump is now speaking, underlining everything the Prosecution stated. Unrepentant, defiant, disrespectful.
Judge Merchan is addressing the court and CNN cuts away to cover California. LOL.
No live broadcasting the sentencing, but audio will be available after.
7:09 AM - Sentenced to Unconditional Discharge.
Could someone explain a non corrupt use of an unconditional discharge? I’m confused how such a sentence is even permissable under the system at all
Because incoming president. It’s clear had this been anyone else (Michael Cohen) or had Trump lost the election, he would have done time.
Yeah I understand why in this specific case, the obvious corruption. But the framework of laws allowed this abuse, and I want to know why this is even possible, why is unconditional discharge a sentence that is allowed to be handed out, because to me, I can’t see a not corrupt way it could be applied, and it doesn’t seem like a new thing, just a rare thing.
From my own research I found this: https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/unconditional-discharge-trump-sentencing-hush-money-rcna187044
Which isn’t a totally satisfactory answer, but is at least some examples of it being used elsewhere.
Some states have laws with “mandatory minimum sentencing”, but in this case it seems either New York doesn’t have that, or the laws broken here aren’t part of the mandatory minimum guideline.
From a PDF here:
"However, today, while most drug felonies in New York are excluded, minimums still apply for most people convicted of any other felony charge—whether violent or non-violent—if they have a prior felony conviction within the past ten years.
Even absent such a criminal history, minimums continue to apply to most convictions where the current charge is a violent felony."
So in the Trump case, no priors, not violent, minimums don’t apply.
NOW - If he has ANOTHER felony, he does have prior convictions and it’s a different ballgame.
So … his sentence is literally nothing?
As a convicted felon, he has the same restrictions felons have, but that’s it.
Surely this means the party of law and order won’t support him, right?
Right?
…right?
Across the street from my development is a retired cop who has a nursery/lawn care business staffed with Mexicans and had a giant, “I’m voting for the felon.”
Do state-level felonies follow to other states?
It varies depending on the restriction.
Gun ownership is a federal restriction, so he can’t legally own a gun in any state.
New York restores voting rights to felons on release provided they re-register, Florida, where Trump lives, follows the convicting state rules.
So, in theory, all he has to do is re-register and that is cleared.
https://www.nycourts.gov/courthelp/criminal/publicOfficeConsequences.shtml
“If you have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor you may be barred from public office jobs, like a police officer, firefighter, court officer, or notary public. Public offices also include elected and appointed offices, like governor, judge, legislator, and local supervisors and commissioners. Police officers, corrections officers, parole and probation officers and district attorneys are also public offices. But, public office doesn’t always mean a job working for the city or state. If you think you may want a public office job, or you hold one now, it is important to find out if your misdemeanor or felony conviction will prevent you from having the job.”
The office of the President is not restricted in that way. So while Trump may no longer be qualified for Dogcatcher, nothing prevents him from being President.
Gun ownership is a federal restriction, so he can’t legally own a gun in any state.
And yet he gets to control the nuclear football. WTactualF.
That could be a really interesting argument, actually. Strictly speaking, is there anything about “controlling a weapon” with the way the law is written? Or just about owning a gun? Or possession of a weapon? If someone, for example, handed a controller for an armed drone to a felon who could not have a gun, is that a loophole?
Edit: thinking about this a little more and looking into it, the president is Commander in Chief of the military. The military does not generally allow felons, but there is a waiver for that. I think that if push came to shove, there could be a pathway there.
Strictly speaking, is there anything about “controlling a weapon” with the way the law is written? Or just about owning a gun? Or possession of a weapon? If someone, for example, handed a controller for an armed drone to a felon who could not have a gun, is that a loophole?
It depends… how much money and how many slavish cult followers do you have?
Nuking the superbowl isn’t going to work as a false flag event. But you have to understand that these people aren’t playing with a full deck of cards and are trying to get a Royal Flush.
Me neither, but at least I’m playing Uno.
He’s never entering a voting booth again in his life. He gives a fuck about no one but himself.
Bullshit. Florida allows exemptions to that law. Do you think Rhonda Santis won’t allow an exemption for him?
Besides, his residence" is literally not allowed to be a residence, so he’s been committing voter proud for a long time.
No what I’m saying is he has no motivation to vote again because his name won’t be on the ballot.
Any other time in history, I’d agree with you,
“Hello, how nice of you to show up. Prosecution has proven you did a bad thing. The law says this bad thing is punishable, but since you think it is not proven we defer to your opinion and will not bother you with repercussions for your actions. Sorry to have wasted your time and have a nice day”
Yup.
You know, this makes me think of Luigi and how his sentencing will go. I assume: he will be sentenced to public execution, and be used as a martyr for the rich to send a message for us peasants,“this is what happens when you want to play hero”
The only way they get the death penalty is convicting on 1st degree murder w/ terrorism and that’s looking like too high a bar. Too many prospective jurors going “Well, I wasn’t terrorized…”
It’ll be fucking hilarious if their overzealousness causes him to be found not guilty.
This is an instance where jury nullification would be extremely just though I stand by my original statement - the optimal outcome for everyone after the murder would have been if no one was arrested and it remained unsolved.
2nd degree murder looks like a lock to me, at the state level anyway. I haven’t looked at the federal charges yet.
Yea. If that was the only charge I’d agree - but juries rarely (even though they’re supposed to) consider charges in isolation. Throwing Murder1 w/ terrorism on the pile makes it more likely he’s found innocent on all counts.
I’d love to believe you, but apparently, what’s legal matters less than a loud, wet fart into a diaper.
As an example, Jeffy Epstein got the death penalty for a lesser charge
Plot twist: Sentence - Death.
(I can dream)
Anything short of “you’re free to go” could give him a stroke…
Don’t get my hopes up
Apparently, it only pays about $30K to give him a stroke and then you have to watch someone else give him a limp-wristed spanking for 4 years
It’s difficult to accept any laws now. There’s no reason to follow any if the shining example of what this country has to offer is a multiple convicted rapist felon two time impeached orange orangutan who gets rewarded with being president. Again.
You can’t simultaneously say “follow the rules” when the guy saying it is a rule breaker extraordinaire.
Rules for thee and not for me.
Other people will be held accountable. Just not this entitled criminal rapist insurrectionist president guy.
All drugs should be legal.
On Friday, Justice Juan M. Merchan sentenced Donald J. Trump to an unconditional discharge, a rare and lenient sentence in New York state courts that still cements Mr. Trump’s status as a felon before his inauguration.
“You’ve been sentenced to… continue doing what you’ve been doing.”
Nice sentence, no sentence.
Not a sentence. Punctuation only.
Judge wussied out; Lady Justice confirmed absent from the US.
Buckle up, folks. We’re in for a wild ride.
Chris Smither - Happier Blue:
https://youtu.be/lxTl72XVWso#t=40s
Justice is a lady
Blind, with a scale
And a big letter-opener
She’s been readin’ my mail
I don’t know why this should shame me
But it does, somehow
I don’t care what you say
She don’t look like a lady now
I don’t care what you say
She don’t look like a lady nowLady justice was found murdered on fifth Avenue with no robes, no blindfold, and a fist full of dollars in hand. Maybe you think this is a recent occurrence, but you would be wrong. She was born this way. Deformed and frail from malnourishment.
Maybe you are immune to criminal prosecution as well. Have you tried being a criminal? Me neither. But if it works for one, it should work for us all right? If not us all, then someone else.
Someone else is immune to “justice” in the USA. I wonder who that is…
Listen really closely, and you’ll hear the gentle whisper of the slight disturbance of the air as he gets his gentle, barely-touch-skin wrist slapping.
Trump can eat my unconditional discharge.
Fucking stupid country.
I had that unconditional discharge once, shot of penicillin cleaned it right up! ;)
You may think that the punishment is nothing, but this level of punishment if he was an immigrant would be enough to deport him under Laken Riley Act. And if you think “Oh, they won’t pass that, the democrats are filibustering it, well…”
Why the fuck did they even try him if there’s no consequence for a conviction? A waste of everyone’s time and money.
Ice been incredibly furious about this all day. This fucking criminal flaunts his lawlessness in everyone’s faces and walks away without so much as a fucking fine! Fuck, Luigi had the right ide!
There MIGHT have been if he hadn’t won re-election. I guess we’ll never know.
This country is such a fucking joke.
Clown country
I am so fucking angry about this. It’s just going to embolden the orange duck to commit more, worse crimes. He won’t ever leave the White House. This country is so fucked.
Not surprised the result is nothing but does this have no knock on legal effects? Like is there a chance this gets used as precedence in some way?
Biggest effect is he’s a felon, so no gun ownership. It’s possible it will constrain foreign travel if certain countries don’t allow felons to enter, that kind of thing.
Neither of these really matter in practice, though.
First, I doubt Trump owns a gun in the first place. He’d find a way to point at the ground, fire, and still miss. Second, no country is going to deny entry to a sitting President of the US. Third, it’s Trump. At this point, he could have a Commando-style arsenal in a shed and they wouldn’t press charges anyway.
Our justice system was unwilling to do anything about Trump hoarding national security secrets in a golf club bathroom. If that didn’t get him a permanent stay at ADX-Florence, they’re not gonna throw his ass in jail over a couple of guns.
So does this mean he’s not allowed to carry a firearm but can still use the nuclear codes?
Correct!
Yes, but only if you commit your crime as part of a cover-up while successfully running for president
Corrupt USA’s governance is decaying further.
