this post was submitted on 02 Jun 2024
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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 60 points 5 months ago (6 children)

Take it with a grain of salt since the description is coming from an MSNBC host.

But she's right in that, when it comes to deciding sentencing, this will not do him any favors.

Maximum sentence is 4 years per count +$5,000 fine.

So he'll likely get multiple 4 year sentences, served concurrently, and $5K x 34... $170,000 fine.

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 72 points 5 months ago (2 children)

He'll never see the inside of a cell. The legal system protects shit like him.

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 22 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

That's expected when you live in a corporatocracy masquerading as a democracy.

[–] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

They’re also a nonviolent class E felonies. I’d love to see him behind bars, but there’s no reason to expect a prison sentence. It’s possible, but not probable.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 44 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Pipe dreams. It’s extremely rare for prison sentences to be imposed for white collar, non-violent e felonies like this.

Merchan isn’t going to impose a shit load of time just because people want it- that would pretty quickly get over turned by higher courts.

Most likely the best we can hope for is house arrest; the only reason we have a hope of jail time at all is that trumps behavior during and leading up to the trial (inciting his mob to threaten violence, refusal to abide gag orders.)

In some regards the house arrest might be politically the best for Trump. He can still broadcast his stupidity.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 26 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Again, look at the other people involved. Cohen got 3 years for his part in it, Alan Weisselberg, while not convicted for this, got 5 months for his role in another Trump ordered scheme.

So, yeah, it does happen for white collar crime. When you consider 34 counts and his lack of contrition, I can see the Judge hitting him with the max, which, granted, is only 4 years.

[–] elliot_crane@lemmy.world 14 points 5 months ago

I’m being cautiously optimistic here, but I have to admit prison time is probably a long shot. Justice Merchan didn’t want to jail him on his ten instances of contempt, and I can understand wanting to avoid politicizing an already unprecedented trial and handing the defense reason for appeal. Given convicted felon Donald Trump’s behavior however, my personal prediction is something like house arrest and possibly a supervised release schedule. Total bullshit, but I do think Merchan has been playing the long game so that whatever sentence he hands down is airtight and holds up under appeal.

[–] very_well_lost@lemmy.world 31 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

A part of me hopes they fine him $130k. Fining him the exact amount he paid Stormy Daniels somehow feels like an even bigger "fuck you" than the maximum possible financial penalty.

[–] Botzo@lemmy.world 17 points 5 months ago

So with the inflation adjustment, that looks like ... 172k today!

[–] takeda@lemmy.world 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

No, that won't do any rehabilitation. It needs to be jailed or maybe cleaning the highway.

[–] skulblaka@startrek.website 3 points 5 months ago

He would surely rather die than rehabilitate, and frankly probably won't have much choice in the matter given his age and condition, even if he were willing to try.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

But then if he forges fake business records to pay the fine... :)

Hey, criminals do dumb stuff all the time...

https://youtu.be/BUp9_pHyEHo

[–] ASeriesOfPoorChoices@lemmy.world 12 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

4 years, one for each year he was president.

EDIT: begin the "four more years!" chanting

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 11 points 5 months ago (3 children)

An analysis I read said NY almost never imprisons a first time fraud offender. If true then it's pretty unlikely he will be imprisoned at all.

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 18 points 5 months ago (1 children)

On one hand you're right about first time offenders, but on the other he's made it clear monetary fines don't dissuade him (e.g. the ten he got for his truth social attacks on the judge and co.) which could in turn influence the decision regarding jailtime.

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That's a good point.

On the other hand, the best lawyers money can buy.

[–] Tower@lemm.ee 15 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That does not describe his lawyers...

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 2 points 5 months ago (2 children)

It was just an assumption, he has money, lawyers are paid with money.

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago

hes bad about following through with the last part, hence the dip in lawyer quality.

[–] smeenz@lemmy.nz 5 points 5 months ago

A trump does not simply pay his bills.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Cohen was a first time offender and did 3 years for the same crime.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 18 points 5 months ago

This is patently untruthful.

First, Cohen’s conviction was federal. Trumps are state.

Second. Trump is convicted of fraudulent business records. Cohen was convicted of lying to a financial institution, tax fraud, unlawful corpo contributions, and excessive campaign contributions. (Source)

[–] Peer@discuss.tchncs.de 15 points 5 months ago

Not the same crime, the same crime plus tax evasion and making false statements to a federally-insured bank.

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That's true. I guess it will come down to the details. Though will be interesting to see if the feasibility of actually sending Trump to prison (and protecting him, without 24/7 solitary confinement) weighs into it.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 9 points 5 months ago

Put him in a jail cell, post Secret Service outside the door. Problem solved. :)

I know, I know, it's not that simple. Some poor bastard is going to have to make sure he doesn't drop the soap in the shower.

But if Martha Stewart was kept safe, they can do it for Trump.

[–] skulblaka@startrek.website 4 points 5 months ago

What if they commit fraud 36 more times? How about then?

[–] zerofk@lemm.ee 11 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

I believe the maximum total is 4 years, not cumulative. And given that it’s his first conviction, and he has a campaign to run, the chance he’ll spend any time in jail at all is slim.

*edit: OP mentioned concurrently, so they said the same thing. Reading comprehension at 8 AM not booted up yet.

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Concurrent means not cumulative

[–] zerofk@lemm.ee 8 points 5 months ago

Oops, my morning brain skipped over that word, thanks for pointing it out.