Legal experts say that convicting former US President Donald Trump in his current trial in New York would mean a combination of routine judicial procedures and unusual logistical considerations.
This is what the American newspaper The Washington Post reported in a report that began by recalling that Trump complained of the “cold and uncomfortable courtroom insults” in Manhattan during his trial in the case of a financial bribe he offered to a woman to buy her silence and not reveal his sexual relations with her for fear that this would affect his chances of success. In the presidential elections, which he won in 2016.
The newspaper explained in a report by its writer, David Nakamura, that the jury’s deliberations for that trial began on Wednesday morning.
If Trump is convicted, Nakamura says, he could face other conditions he might find humiliating, including a required prisoner review by the New York City Probation Department.
He pointed out that this review includes the probation office located on the tenth floor of the Manhattan Criminal Court preparing pre-sentencing reports to be presented to the judges, which will include an interview with Trump about his personal history, mental health, and the circumstances that led to his conviction.
Nakamura quotes Daniel Horowitz, a New York criminal defense attorney and former attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, as saying sarcastically: “Whoever thinks the courtroom is dirty, just wait until he goes to the probation office.”
If Trump is convicted of any of the 34 criminal charges related to falsifying business records, dealing with him will combine normal judicial procedures with unconventional logistical arrangements given the nature of this man.
According to the newspaper, Trump will benefit, like any convict, from his right to appeal, but he will also benefit from exceptional measures that take into account how the Secret Service will protect him if he is sent to prison, and whether he will be allowed to travel to attend campaign events if he is sentenced to stay in prison. Aljabriya, given his status as a former president and presumptive Republican candidate for next November’s elections.
Legal experts have ruled out sending Trump (77 years old) to prison, especially since he has no criminal record.
Such criminal charges against Trump are punishable by imprisonment for a period ranging from 16 months to four years, and among the main issues that will be determined if the former president is convicted is whether he will face some form of imprisonment, either in a government facility or in a private place, or face a lesser trial. Restricted through monitoring.
But former prosecutors told the newspaper that imprisonment is unlikely for Trump, noting that alternatives include surveillance or home detention, which would create logistical challenges and potential political concerns, they said.
For example, if he is sentenced to probation, he will have to seek approval from his probation officer before any out-of-state travel, such as campaign rallies and fundraising.
Experts say that if Trump were to spend home confinement at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, the New York authorities would likely have to work with their counterparts in Florida to accommodate him, and this would not prevent him from continuing his election campaign, even with special arrangements. Trump’s team has 30 days to file a notice of appeal and 6 months to file a full appeal if their client is convicted.
The main question is whether the court will agree to keep Trump’s ruling pending appeal, a process that is likely to continue until after the presidential election on November 5.
Former prosecutors believe such a scenario is possible given that any sentence for Donald Trump could be short enough to carry out the entire sentence before a legal appeal is filed.