this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2025
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submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by jordanlund to c/politics
 

The sentencing procedure for our first criminally convicted felon President is due to begin at 9:30 AM Eastern/6:30 AM Pacific.

Let's keep all the comments and posts wrangled here.

Live coverage should be... Oh, I'm just going to say "everywhere". CNN, MSNBC, etc. etc. This is history so everyone should have it.

Edit As expected, Trump is appearing remotely.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-sentencing-01-10-25/index.html

Prosecution is asking for more time to read the probation report, apparently they haven't read it yet.

Prosecution wants "Unconditional Discharge" then layed out every reason why it shouldn't be unconditional. Trump showed no remorse, believes he's above the law, that the court has no authority over him.

Defense is now making their presentation.

Trump is now speaking, underlining everything the Prosecution stated. Unrepentant, defiant, disrespectful.

Judge Merchan is addressing the court and CNN cuts away to cover California. LOL.

No live broadcasting the sentencing, but audio will be available after.

7:09 AM - Sentenced to Unconditional Discharge.

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[–] baronvonj 76 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

So .. his sentence is literally nothing?

[–] jordanlund 40 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

As a convicted felon, he has the same restrictions felons have, but that's it.

[–] billiam0202 33 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Surely this means the party of law and order won't support him, right?

Right?

...right?

[–] Blue_Morpho 18 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Across the street from my development is a retired cop who has a nursery/lawn care business staffed with Mexicans and had a giant, "I'm voting for the felon."

[–] baronvonj 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Do state-level felonies follow to other states?

[–] jordanlund 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)

It varies depending on the restriction.

Gun ownership is a federal restriction, so he can't legally own a gun in any state.

New York restores voting rights to felons on release provided they re-register, Florida, where Trump lives, follows the convicting state rules.

So, in theory, all he has to do is re-register and that is cleared.

https://www.nycourts.gov/courthelp/criminal/publicOfficeConsequences.shtml

"If you have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor you may be barred from public office jobs, like a police officer, firefighter, court officer, or notary public. Public offices also include elected and appointed offices, like governor, judge, legislator, and local supervisors and commissioners. Police officers, corrections officers, parole and probation officers and district attorneys are also public offices. But, public office doesn’t always mean a job working for the city or state. If you think you may want a public office job, or you hold one now, it is important to find out if your misdemeanor or felony conviction will prevent you from having the job."

The office of the President is not restricted in that way. So while Trump may no longer be qualified for Dogcatcher, nothing prevents him from being President.

[–] grue 14 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Gun ownership is a federal restriction, so he can’t legally own a gun in any state.

And yet he gets to control the nuclear football. WTactualF.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah, and couple that with the fact that he literally never needs to pick up a gun again, because our taxes are going to pay for a whole security force to guard him with guns for the rest of his life.

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[–] spongebue 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

That could be a really interesting argument, actually. Strictly speaking, is there anything about "controlling a weapon" with the way the law is written? Or just about owning a gun? Or possession of a weapon? If someone, for example, handed a controller for an armed drone to a felon who could not have a gun, is that a loophole?

Edit: thinking about this a little more and looking into it, the president is Commander in Chief of the military. The military does not generally allow felons, but there is a waiver for that. I think that if push came to shove, there could be a pathway there.

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[–] Dragomus 24 points 2 weeks ago

"Hello, how nice of you to show up. Prosecution has proven you did a bad thing. The law says this bad thing is punishable, but since you think it is not proven we defer to your opinion and will not bother you with repercussions for your actions. Sorry to have wasted your time and have a nice day"

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah and they set the stage with the charges that were all not subject to mandatory sentencing. This is what they were looking for the entire time.

[–] Nightwingdragon 19 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

No, they set the stage when they took a zillion years to bring up charges in the first place. They could have brought these charges up in 2020 when he left office but they decided to sit on the case forever.

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[–] just_another_person 8 points 2 weeks ago
[–] BadlyTimedLuck 41 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You know, this makes me think of Luigi and how his sentencing will go. I assume: he will be sentenced to public execution, and be used as a martyr for the rich to send a message for us peasants,"this is what happens when you want to play hero"

[–] jordanlund 13 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

The only way they get the death penalty is convicting on 1st degree murder w/ terrorism and that's looking like too high a bar. Too many prospective jurors going "Well, I wasn't terrorized..."

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

It'll be fucking hilarious if their overzealousness causes him to be found not guilty.

This is an instance where jury nullification would be extremely just though I stand by my original statement - the optimal outcome for everyone after the murder would have been if no one was arrested and it remained unsolved.

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[–] AngryRobot 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I'd love to believe you, but apparently, what's legal matters less than a loud, wet fart into a diaper.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

As an example, Jeffy Epstein got the death penalty for a lesser charge

[–] [email protected] 37 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Completely unserious legal system. It's no wonder people try to hard cancel healthcare executives when the law is this powerless to stop evil. When the next vigilante murder happens, I want the country to remember that no one feels protected by the law when the law continually demonstrates itself to be powerless at stopping the ownership class.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

It's difficult to accept any laws now. There's no reason to follow any if the shining example of what this country has to offer is a multiple convicted rapist felon two time impeached orange orangutan who gets rewarded with being president. Again.

You can't simultaneously say "follow the rules" when the guy saying it is a rule breaker extraordinaire.

[–] Bonesince1997 8 points 2 weeks ago

Other people will be held accountable. Just not this entitled criminal rapist insurrectionist president guy.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago

Rules for thee and not for me.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Plot twist: Sentence - Death.

(I can dream)

[–] jordanlund 16 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Anything short of "you're free to go" could give him a stroke...

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 weeks ago

Don’t get my hopes up

[–] capt_wolf 8 points 2 weeks ago
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[–] credo 26 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

On Friday, Justice Juan M. Merchan sentenced Donald J. Trump to an unconditional discharge, a rare and lenient sentence in New York state courts that still cements Mr. Trump’s status as a felon before his inauguration.

“You’ve been sentenced to.. continue doing what you’ve been doing.”

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 weeks ago

Trump is shuffling in his chair as prosecutor speaks

Donald Trump is shuffling in his chair while prosecutor John Steinglass speaks. He appears to be leaning forward to look at the screen.

Thank you CNN for the riveting updates

[–] lennybird 24 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Judge wussied out; Lady Justice confirmed absent from the US.

Buckle up, folks. We're in for a wild ride.

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[–] morgan_423 23 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Listen really closely, and you'll hear the gentle whisper of the slight disturbance of the air as he gets his gentle, barely-touch-skin wrist slapping.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Followed by six months of him whining about it

[–] billiam0202 22 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The only way Trump whines about this for just six months is if he dies in six months.

[–] cannedtuna 10 points 2 weeks ago

Please don’t get my hopes up

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 weeks ago

Seems our institutions are promoting barbarism at this point. As Luigi put it: it's just power games at this point.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod 18 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Trump can eat my unconditional discharge.

Fucking stupid country.

[–] jordanlund 8 points 2 weeks ago

I had that unconditional discharge once, shot of penicillin cleaned it right up! ;)

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[–] randon31415 15 points 2 weeks ago

You may think that the punishment is nothing, but this level of punishment if he was an immigrant would be enough to deport him under Laken Riley Act. And if you think "Oh, they won't pass that, the democrats are filibustering it, well..."

[–] BigBenis 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This country is such a fucking joke.

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[–] AngryRobot 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Why the fuck did they even try him if there's no consequence for a conviction? A waste of everyone's time and money.

Ice been incredibly furious about this all day. This fucking criminal flaunts his lawlessness in everyone's faces and walks away without so much as a fucking fine! Fuck, Luigi had the right ide!

[–] jordanlund 5 points 2 weeks ago

There MIGHT have been if he hadn't won re-election. I guess we'll never know.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

My hopes are zero and with how thoroughly this reality has let Trump off the hook, I'm still not sure if I'm prepared enough. I'm predicting at this point the court will sentence him to be president for life, just to be sure they don't appear biased.

Edit: Unconditional discharge. Ok. Sure. Who needs justice to apply to all people equally under the law anyway?

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Not surprised the result is nothing but does this have no knock on legal effects? Like is there a chance this gets used as precedence in some way?

[–] jordanlund 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Biggest effect is he's a felon, so no gun ownership. It's possible it will constrain foreign travel if certain countries don't allow felons to enter, that kind of thing.

[–] Nightwingdragon 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Neither of these really matter in practice, though.

First, I doubt Trump owns a gun in the first place. He'd find a way to point at the ground, fire, and still miss. Second, no country is going to deny entry to a sitting President of the US. Third, it's Trump. At this point, he could have a Commando-style arsenal in a shed and they wouldn't press charges anyway.

Our justice system was unwilling to do anything about Trump hoarding national security secrets in a golf club bathroom. If that didn't get him a permanent stay at ADX-Florence, they're not gonna throw his ass in jail over a couple of guns.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So does this mean he’s not allowed to carry a firearm but can still use the nuclear codes?

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[–] AngryRobot 11 points 2 weeks ago

I am so fucking angry about this. It's just going to embolden the orange duck to commit more, worse crimes. He won't ever leave the White House. This country is so fucked.

[–] A_A 7 points 2 weeks ago

Corrupt USA's governance is decaying further.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I thought he would do his presidency from jail, but... Right, I shouldn't expect so much from this fucking place anymore

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I've said for years the oligarchy will never charge one of their own.

Queue George Carlin 'its a big club and you ain't in it'

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