Former President Donald Trump was scheduled to attend a pre-sentencing hearing Monday with a New York probation officer, a standard procedure for defendants found guilty in criminal cases before being sentenced by a judge. This is Yahoo News’ brief update on the criminal and civil cases against Trump. Here are the latest developments.
🚨 What happened today
Accompanied by Todd Blanche, the lead attorney in his criminal trial in New York that resulted in guilty verdicts on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, Trump was expected to be interviewed virtually from his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, by a New York parole officer. The interview will be presented to Judge Juan Merchan to help him decide what sentence to impose on the former president and current presumptive Republican presidential nominee on July 11.
🔬Zoom in: What is covered
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The pre-sentencing interview will be conducted by a female probation officer, NBC reported, and will take place via a secure video network connection.
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Normally such interviews are not conducted in the presence of an attorney, but Merchan agreed to let Blanche be present and prosecutors had no objection.
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Although Trump is one of the most famous suspects in American history, the purpose of the pre-sentencing interview is to gather information about a suspect’s prior criminal history and other factors, such as health information, that Merchan might consider before sentencing pronounces his sentence.
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The judge will have discretion when it comes to determining Trump’s sentence. Each guilty charge in the trial carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison, but if Merchan chooses prison, each guilty charge will likely be served concurrently. However, most experts believe Trump will avoid jail time and Merchan will sentence him to fines and probation.
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Other sentencing factors that could come into play include Trump’s age, the fact that he is a first-time criminal offender, and his continued violations of the silencing order Merchan put in place and which remains in effect.
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Trump has also continued to blast the judge, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and President Joe Biden for bringing what he has described as a politically motivated case against him.
🗓 What’s next?
After the interview is submitted to Merchan, the judge will decide on Trump’s sentence and announce it on July 11 at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in New York.
