Former President Donald Trump is getting interviewed by a probation officer on Monday as part of the process leading up to sentencing after a jury returned a guilty verdict in his New York hush money trial.
Sources told The New York Times the discussion would be conducted virtually while Trump is at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and one of his lawyers, Todd Blanche, would be present. The probation officer may collect information about Trump’s personal history and criminal record for a report that the judge, who in this case is Juan Merchan, can use to help decide a punishment.
“The pre-sentence report is a chance for the defendant’s lawyer to say good things about the defendant, like that the defendant is in a counseling program or has a steady job and takes care of an ailing family member,” says the New York court system’s website. “The pre-sentence interview is a chance for the defendant to try to make a good impression and explain why he or she deserves a lighter punishment.”
Jurors convicted Trump last month on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to allegedly cover up a tryst with adult film star Stormy Daniels as part of a “catch-and-kill” scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election. Trump, who denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the charges, vowed to appeal.
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Merchan scheduled sentencing for July 11, just days before Trump is expected to receive the GOP’s presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention. Legal experts doubt the 77-year-old Trump will end up behind bars, though the Secret Service has reportedly coordinated with local jail officials just in case. Possible alternatives to imprisonment include probation or community service.
“President Trump and his legal team are already taking necessary steps to challenge and defeat the lawless Manhattan DA case,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement over the weekend, referring to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Three other criminal cases on the state and federal levels hang over Trump as he seeks a second White House term, prompting the former president to say he is the victim of a politically motivated “witch hunt.” It is unclear whether any of those cases will reach the trial stage before the November contest.
