@mchill saidI bet he gets a few years behind bars. What did Cohen get? 3?
Michael Coehn went to jail for a number of the same crimes Trump has been found guilty of, in addition, sentencing guidelines for these crimes can be pretty harsh, especially for a convicted fraudster such as Donald Trump. Sentencing will take place in July
So - Will they lock him up now?
@mchill saidEven if he gets a prison sentence (which is up in the air), a first time convicted felon is normally given bail during the appeals process (which will probably take close to a year just to get a decision from the first appellate court).
Michael Coehn went to jail for a number of the same crimes Trump has been found guilty of, in addition, sentencing guidelines for these crimes can be pretty harsh, especially for a convicted fraudster such as Donald Trump. Sentencing will take place in July
So - Will they lock him up now?
I don't expect the Donald to see the inside of a prison cell due to this conviction any time soon (if ever).
@no1marauder saidWhat was different about Cohen? Wasn't he also first time?
Even if he gets a prison sentence (which is up in the air), a first time convicted felon is normally given bail during the appeals process (which will probably take close to a year just to get a decision from the first appellate court).
I don't expect the Donald to see the inside of a prison cell due to this conviction any time soon (if ever).
@spruce112358 saidA lot was different.
What was different about Cohen? Wasn't he also first time?
First, it was Federal Court, not New York State court.
Second, he pled guilty.
Third, it wasn't that different; Cohen pled guilty in August 2018, but he wasn't sentenced until December 2018 and didn't have to report to prison until March 2019. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cohen-face-sentencing-campaign-finance-violations-lying-congress/story?id=59738100
If one wants to speculate about sentencing, there's this informative article: https://www.al.com/news/2024/05/jail-for-trump-its-rare-for-falsifying-business-records.html
"New York state data shows that while incarceration for the business records charge is not common, it is not unheard of:
According to New York’s Division of Criminal Justice Services, of 48 cases statewide in which the business records count was the top charge for a felony or misdemeanor conviction in 2022, just 15 of those defendants — fewer than one in three — were sentenced to jail or prison. (2022 is the last full year for which data was available.)"
One caveat: the article doesn't specify how many of those cases were plea bargains; in general, a defendant who goes to trial increases the risk of a more severe sentence.
Most sentencing factors are in Trump's favor; no priors, he's old, it would be a pain to arrange with the Secret Service etc. etc. etc. On the other hand, he's highly unlikely to show any remorse plus he's been kinda ticking the Judge off - you know attacking his daughter and violating his gag orders.
We'll have to see what the recommendations from the Prosecutor and Probation Department are before we get any kind of strong indication on whether incarceration is likely.
@no1marauder
I wouldn't mind Trump getting a thousand hours of community service, grab that stick and pick up trash on the side of the highway for 8 hours a day.
Or feed the poor in a community kitchen, and washing dishes.
That would be ten times more humiliating to Trump than prison because prison makes him a martyr in the eyes of his base.
All that said, supposed in 6 months they have yet to decide on jail or probation, whatever, and he wins again. What then?
EVERYTHING goes away?