Donald Trump 'Special' Probation Meeting Sparks Backlash

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Published Jun 10, 2024 at 11:25 AM EDT | Updated Jun 10, 2024 at 11:46 AM EDT


Donald Trump is drawing criticism over his Monday probation interview, with some arguing that he's getting "special" treatment for the presentencing procedure. Accompanied by his attorney Todd Blanche, Trump will sit for a virtual interview from his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida with a New York City probation officer as part of the sentencing process related to his criminal conviction last month.

On May 30, a Manhattan jury found the former president guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the hush money case, which involved a payment to an adult film actress just before the 2016 election. Legal experts have said that while it's unusual for these proceedings to be held by video conference, it may be a better option for the courthouse, which would be swarmed by members of the media and require additional security measures.

But some observers took issue with Trump being allowed to appear virtually, complaining it was proof that the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee was getting "special treatment" after being convicted. "There's been no explanation whatsoever for why this convicted felon gets to do what would normally be mandatory in-person meetings over Zoom, but we can already see the value in this special treatment for Trump, as it's *essential* that he hide any illicit drug use from voters," author Seth Abramson said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

"There is no excuse for Trump not being in NYC," he continued. "He has a home there. He has a private jet. He's supposedly a billionaire. His private attorney will fly with him anywhere in the world. Yet if this were you or me we would *have* to go to NYC, whereas *he* is asked to do *nothing*."


Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-special-probation-meeting-sparks-backlash-1910453

[Arne]

1. Vonshirtzenpants may not be wearing any pants.

[JT45242]

2. He should have everything that is normal for any other felon convict...

1. Lawyer present = normal & OK
2. Required to pee in a cup for a drug test = Normal ....wait, how do you pee in a cup for a drug test virtually. NOPE< NOT ALLOWED
3. Required to show up in person -- Normal -- Wait why does this convict get special treatment to have a virtual meeting. It's not like he worries about covid.

[Mopar151]

38. They could do a hair test.

Clip some off, have Trump sign the SEALED envelope it's deposited in. Do it on-camera, include it as part of the interview.

[Farmer-Rick]

55. Hair samples are not reliable indicators of drug use

It can catch certain drug use only starting at day 5. It takes 5 days for drugs to show up in hair.

But it would catch all his ongoing drug use if you get the right hairs. If you got a piece of his hair weave, then it would mean nothing.

[Polybius]

56. It's a bad hair transplant done in the 80's

Not a weave.

[Farmer-Rick]

58. Are you sure?

It looks more like a weave to me.

[Polybius]

59. Yeah, he had Kimmel pull on it once

Plus you can see that it is very thin on windy days, as he's lost hair in the past decade (they don't last forever, Biden had one too and lost a lot of hairs). Musk, on the other hand, had a good hair transplant (possibly the best ever).

[Farmer-Rick]

60. Hmm, good to know

But you can pull on a hair weave and it won't come out, if done properly.

I didn't know hair transplants only lasted so long.

Musk has a hair transplants too? I never knew that. I've lost all respect for that man now...just kidding, I never had any respect for him.

I've been lucky, I haven't lost any hair at 67. Just very gray. Genetics are weird.

[Polybius]

62. Yeah, they only last so long

You can keep going though for more implants. Biden had one too, in the 90's. So this is the second time in history that both candidates have had hair transplants. The first was 2020.

[Mopar151]

61. My friend has "captian's papers" for his dredge barge biz.

The Coast Guard takes a hair sample if an incident occurs - usually from the arm!

[Farmer-Rick]

64. Oh, I never thought about hair from the arm

That way no worries about fake hair.

[Demobrat]

3. This is BS.

He should have to do what any other convicted felon in NY would have to do.

[onenote]

10. You mistakenly assume that every convicted felon is required to take a drug test at their pre-sentencing interview.

And that an in-person interview is always required.

Both of those assumption are wrong.

See post #9.

[Magoo48]

32. Each level of our multi-tiered justice system requires ever escalating amounts of wealth.

[NanaCat]

43. While that is true

That is not the reason Merchan didn't ask for a drug test.

Honestly, at least try to comprehend that it had nothing to do with his money and everything to do with the type of felonies for which he was convicted.

Because that's the reality of the situation, and hissy fits won't change that.

[Magoo48]

54. Yes, I do understand the nature of the felonies as well as the unique circumstances of the situation.

I was speaking in the reference context of tfg’s relationship with laws and justice since 2016 in particular and in his life generally. His consequence free rampage through our American landscape puts a fine point upon the tentative approach our justice system takes with the morbidly rich.

I have a robust emotional nature, but I’ve never had a “Hissy Fit”. Peace.

[carpetbagger]

63. "robust emotional nature"

I like that one .

[NanaCat]

42. And those convicted of the felonies he was

Felonies that weren't drug related, don't usually get drug-tested.

I mean, really, it only takes 5 minutes with the Googlebot to learn that much.

[LuvLoogie]

4. He is fucking NOT the president!

WTH

[KS Toronado]

5. Believe the courthouse is tired of the media and additional security measures.

He'll get to pee in a cup plenty of times in the future.

[Harker]

6. Are you suggesting he won't be able to make it to the toilet?

You're almost certainly right.

[KS Toronado]

7. He doesn't need a toilet, he wears diapers!

Pee cup is for his drug test, SOP for a probation officer.

[Harker]

8. Ah...

I forgot!

[BumRushDaShow]

13. ...

[BidenRocks]

22. Wring out his nappy! Nt

[flashman13]

11. Wait! What? Let me get this straight. A major charge against tRump for which he was convicted

was that he paid Ms Stormy Daniels to remain silent, and not disclose their 30 second affair, in order to hide his misadventure from the voters. That is, the voters had a right to know he was a creep before they voted. It could have (very well would have) tipped the election.

Now he is running for president again. Do the voters not have the same right in 2024 to know whether or not tRump is an Adderall (maybe coke or speed - just saying) junkie? Am I wrong, or does it look like the court, by not forcing tRump to take a drug test, is covering up a material fact that could influence the coming election? What's the difference?

Clearly there really is one system of justice for schmucks like you and me and another system for rich fucks running for president. Why no DNA test as per normal?

They could just subpoena one of his diapers and test that.

[KS Toronado]

15. subpoena one of his diapers and test that. LOL

Yes I'm with you, I hope some time soon he gets to start taking drug tests on a regular basis. If we could
prove a guy his age is doing drugs, it would surly flush his chances of reelection down the toilet.
Meanwhile MAGAts will scream FAKE NEWS because that's all they know.

[soldierant]

26. No, it is NOT SPECIAL TREATMENT.

https://joycevance.substack.com/p/the-week-ahead-1c6

The above is a public post on Substack. If you've never used Substack, you may think there is a paywall, but it isn't you just need to click on the cue to continue reading (there are different phraseologies but they all mean "keep reading.&quot it may take a slight scroll down, but you'll need to scroll doen anyway to where ahe starts talking about this.

Joyce Vance is a former Federal prosecutor, I don't think licensed in New York, but she knows how to look up the law in New York as well as anyone and better than most.

[soldierant]

37. just tired of people telling me "I can't read this," "I can't see the whole article."

And I've been sent paywalled links to often that I seriously sympathize.

I don''t expect anyone has to shill for Substack when people and groups like MArgaret Atwood and Wonkette - and Rober Reich - and Steve Schmidt - and Andy Borowitz - and Talking Pints Memo - and more - are now using it as their primary non-social-media means of communication.

[NanaCat]

44. Sigh

What is it about reality that so many people cannot or will not grasp?

People who are convicted of his type of felonies, felonies that aren't drug-related, rarely get drug-tested in NY as part of their pre-sentence screening or if they're put on probation.

What part of this being nothing about TSF and everything about routine NY policy & procedure are so many people incapable of comprehending?

[orangecrush]

18. With 2 million incarcerated in the US

They sure as fuck don't get tired of sending ANYONE ELSE TO PRISON

[onenote]

9. Seth Abramson gets it wrong. Again.

First, a drug test is not mandatory. It isn't even typical in pre-sentencing interviews related to non-violent, financial crimes where there is no established history of drug or alcohol abuse. Making him take one would be treating him differently than virtually every other similarly situated defendant. Thus even if the interview had been held in person there would have been no drug test Of course, Merchan could have ordered the drug test, meaning that, in effect, Abramson is blaming Judge Merchan.

Second, the rules governing pre-sentencing interviews expressly allow for a virtual interview where the person to be interviewed lives outside New York. While Trump may have an apartment in NYC, he lives in Florida, so he qualifies. Plus, the rule allows for virtual interviews where there are exigent circumstances, which the article itself suggests is applicable here. Finally, it was Judge Merchan that gave the go ahead to a virtual interview, so once again Abramson is suggesting Merchan is at fault.

[ShazzieB]

17. Thanks for providing this very much needed information.

People really need to stop getting their knickers in a twist over supposed "special treatment" without first ascertaining whether there is, in fact, any special treatment actually going on.

[Igel]

19. It's SOP.

Those who know little get outraged and insist that those who know less accept their infallible utterances and also get outraged.

Somebody said that DU wasn't social media. In some ways, neither is Facebook. IRC was a kind of social media. Wiki distinguishes between IRC and such fora on the one hand, "social media" on the other hand, but one's clearly the precursor to the other.

[Biophilic]

21. Thanks for the additional information. Very helpful.

It’s so hard not to get caught up in the emotions and inaccurate information.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

30. Damnit. You popped my party balloon. Sometimes facts are no fun.

[DownriverDem]

12. Get used to it

I have a feeling that trump's probation will be on zoom always.

[Captain Zero]

39. Probably a short probation only, and it will ZOOM BY !

Funny how that will work for him.

Speedy Probation and all his other cases slowed down into next year...

[Xipe Totec]

14. Super Secret Double Probation nt

[orangecrush]

16. A total sham

"The United States leads the world in total number of people incarcerated, with more than 2 million prisoners nationwide (per data released in October 2021 by World Prison Brief)"

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/incarceration-rates-by-country

Ask any of these 2 million people, about 2/3 of whom are minorities, if they had the courts kowtow to them in such a fashion.

What a fucking joke.

[Captain Zero]

40. A sham of a mockery of a farce, of a travesty of a sham of a farce, of a mockery, ...........

Apologies to Woody Allen

[NanaCat]

45. Stop. Seriously

Nobody's kowtowing to him. Everything Merchan has done in this process has been 100% routine and normal. Pre-sentence interviews over Zoom--NORMAL. A judge declining to test someone convicted of a non-violent felony that's not a drug-related offense--NORMAL.

I don't know where you get your information, but you might want to find new ones who know what they're talking about.

[YoshidaYui]

20. I hope He gets more then Four Years

Then how will be He be President from a New York State Prison cell?

[InstantGratification]

23. Not a chance

4 years is the max sentence. Although NY law does allow for consecutive sentences for class E felonies (capped at 20 years max), it just doesn't happen in white collar crimes.

[NanaCat]

46. I keep telling y'all to expect probation + fines.

Because that's the routine sentence for someone convicted of a Class E felony in NY who has no priors.

[YoshidaYui]

50. Donald Trump may be the only citizen in the Entire UNITED STATES

who is being treated like HE is above the law. If he gets a light sentence people will truly KNOW there IS NO JUSTICE in this country and if he is elected, the first thing they will do is start murdering Democrats. Trump even asked about firing squads. THINK ABOUT THAT.

[onenote]

53. If he gets a light sentence, he'll have been treated the same as virtually any other individual

with no previous criminal record who is convicted of falsifying business records in New York. A survey of past cases indicates that in the 90% of such cases, the person convicted does not get jail time.

Facts matter.

[EndlessWire]

65. That's not strictly true.

He has contempt of court charges that he was guilty of in this case. This is the first criminal case he's been convicted of, though, so perhaps that counts. But, he has those other charges for which he was convicted and accountable for which J. Merchan can consider. I just object to "no priors." Just not in the traditional sense. It's as if he went out and whacked someone on Fifth Avenue during this trial, but then you say, "no priors." That's a used-to-be proposition. J. Merchan can consider many different factors during sentencing, including those that indicate jail time. There is no remorse demonstrated here, unless it occurred during the Probation interview, which is hard for me to believe.

[SupportSanity]

24. Trump is now in the "system". Let's see how he corrupts that.

Maybe he'll get extra deserts or time in the yard.

[NanaCat]

47. Why don't you wait to see what his sentence is

Before making dire predictions with no basis in reality?

[Farmer-Rick]

57. Dire predictions?

Extra Dessert?

Yummy predictions you mean.

[EndlessWire]

66. The reality is

that J. Merchan CAN and might sentence him to jail. You're just trying to say it's a longshot. Sure, it's a longshot. But, it is not a sure thing that he doesn't. Although the situations are not really comparable, those that were convicted of Contempt of Congress got 3 to 4 months in prison, without priors. This guy has 34 counts of cheating plus at least 10 contempt of court charges.

I appreciate a softening of expectations, but others are hopeful of seeing the Orange Turd in jail. I am, too. But, I'd rather have him out on probation where we can search his properties for other classified materials. You know we didn't get them all, and here's our chance to do warrantless searches. Just need a probation officer on scene. So, I'll be happy either way it goes.

[bucolic_frolic]

25. with a probation coach lawyer to shield his temperament

Will he ever face consequences? Own up to his actions?

[NanaCat]

48. He will have consequences

Probation and fines, most likely. That's pretty standard for someone with his conviction.

And he's not required to show response for his actions. Judges don't believe that blather about remorse, anyway, because they know that it's blatant sucking up to get a lighter sentence.

[EndlessWire]

68. Yeah, I read that, too.

I also read that lack of remorse does make a difference. If ever you were going to be humble in the face of possible jail time, the presentence hearing was it.

[EndlessWire]

67. The fight is going to be

over probation restrictions that might impede his "leading candidate to campaign for the Presidency" crap. He normally has to ask permission from Probation to even leave a district. He can't just fly out of state without permission. He can't associate with other felons. He has to surrender his guns. He has to pee in a cup anytime they ask him to do so. He has to see his Probation Officer regularly. Probation isn't freedom.

I would think that J. Merchan would include the restriction of solicitating violence against witnesses in other cases, although not committing other crimes seems to be implicit, anyway. One day, Trump may find himself back in front of J. Merchan getting his probation revoked, hopefully after we have search every blessed property he has, including those two locked rooms that were ignored at MAL. We should even dig up Ivana's coffin, although they probably buried her ashes there for tax purposes. We will no longer need a warrant. That should play havoc with Trump's nerves.

[Blue Owl]

27. FF45 has gotten 'special treatment' his whole goddamn fucking life

[AZ8theist]

33. Exactly.

If you or I had possession of ONE TOP SECRET document, we'd be in the slammer waiting trial.

The treasonous pig had THOUSANDS of top secret docs. Most likely STILL HAS MANY MORE.

IT'S FUCKING BULLSHIT HE'S ALLOWED TO BE FREE.

[Ocelot II]

28. It's not special treatment, as Joyce Vance points out:

Trump meets with his probation officer on Monday. While these meetings usually take place in person, New York law permits them to be remote—Trump’s will take place on Zoom—if a defendant is out of state or exigent circumstances exist. Rather than being special treatment for the former president, this procedure will avoid stressing court security resources further and exposing other people visiting their probation officers to a media spotlight.

Probation conducts a presentence investigation for every convicted defendant to aid the Judge’s sentencing decision. The report produced is confidential—we will not see it unless Trump makes some or all of it public, although it’s possible some of the information contained in it will be discussed during his July 11 sentencing hearing. That hearing will be public, although not available for us to watch or listen to, barring dramatic changes in policy.

The interview with the defendant is just one part of the investigation the probation office conducts. The goal, as you can see from state guidelines below, is the provision of accurate information to the judge and other state agencies involved in the incarceration and treatment of a defendant.

https://joycevance.substack.com/p/the-week-ahead-1c6 There are plenty of things to get our knickers in a twist about, but this isn't one of them.

[BumRushDaShow]

31. Well I think this part

this procedure will avoid stressing court security resources further and exposing other people visiting their probation officers to a media spotlight.

seems to forget that there was a multi-week trial that went on ahead of this and it certainly wasn't the huge spectacle outside the courthouse that many media outlets and pundits seemed to hype up ahead of the trial.

This appearance wasn't for "weeks". It was one day.

That "But the media attention!!1!!!!1!!!" excuse is precisely an example of the "2-tier system". It may well obviously be for practical reasons but it's the "appearance of" kid glove treatment that criminal justice reform advocates keep trying to point out while others dismiss it. It adds onto the daily micro-aggressions that the less well-endowed suffer in that system.

[NanaCat]

49. Good grief

Probation officers are dealing with these people in a much smaller space, down very quiet hallways, and often 1-on-1. Worse, a probation office does not have nearly the security staff that a courtroom does. Those bailiffs aren't there merely for decoration or announcing the judge coming and going.

You do realise the different security concerns sort of require a different security approach...right?

[BumRushDaShow]

51. So what?

Again it shows, as criminal justice reform advocates continue to argue, that the "system" bends over backwards for high-income criminals (in some cases even "celebrities", but not always), and fuck the rest.

I was a juror in a criminal trial here in Philly this past April and saw what goes on in these courthouses. I have had an aunt and mother who worked "in the system" as social workers dealing with the courts.

There are certain accommodations that make sense and others where there is no reason to sugar-coat it.

[republianmushroom]

34. Special treatment, you can bet your sweet ass it is.

[dchill]

35. I, too, backlash that shit.

[Martin68]

36. Unconscionable.

[Mopar151]

41. Depriving Knumb Knutz of a microphone is a good start! nt