New York – As Trump awaits his July 11th sentencing for the New York hush money case, Florida Judge Aileen Cannon ruled on Monday against Trump’s legal team’s request to dismiss several charges in the classified documents case. However, the federal judge granted Trump a small and unexpected victory. She allowed the removal of one section of the charges that mentioned an allegation not formally brought against him, but denied dismissal of the other charges.
The New York case
Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business documents in the New York hush money case nearly two weeks ago, in what many Republican politicians see an orchestrated process by the Department of Justice against the former president and presumptive Republican nominee. Although Donald Trump has filed an appeal after the conviction, that just marked the start of a long legal process that couldn’t be finished by November’s general election and won’t affect the sentencing. “We’ll be appealing it on many different things. He wouldn’t allow us to have witnesses or have us talk or allow us to do anything. The judge was a tyrant,” Trump said shortly after conviction.
Trump faces a jail sentence
Trump avoided being jailed by Judge Juan Merchan during the several-week-long court trial for violating the imposed gag order on at least 10 occasions, but he could ultimately be sentenced to jail on July 11. It seems unlikely, but Trump could easily become the first former or current president and likely presidential candidate to spend some time in jail amid an ongoing presidential campaign.
Potentially “absurd” decision
Legal expert Jonathan Turley expressed on Monday that the idea of ex-President Trump going to jail due to his felony conviction is “absurd”. Turley anticipates a more lenient sentence for Trump. Earlier this month, Trump was found guilty on 34 separate charges for falsifying business records. Legal authorities claimed he illegally covered up hush money payments made to hide a past affair and influence the 2016 election.
Sentencing days before the beginning of the Republican National Convention
His sentencing is set for July 11, just four days before the Republican National Convention kicks off. Although he has challenged the guilty verdict, the sentencing will proceed as planned. The ex-president might receive a maximum of four years in jail, but Turley believes that’s improbable.
“[Trump] came fully baked, in the view of many people, jurors and judge. I think people have this idea of who Trump is. They either love him, or they hate him,” Turley said in a Fox News interview with Neil Cavuto. “I’ve never met anyone in the middle of those two camps. And so, I don’t think that the needle is going to move much here.”
“But it also would be absurd to send him to jail,” he continued. “He is an elderly first offender, nonviolent crime, and a very controversial prosecution. This whole case could be overturned ultimately, on appeal. I think that Judge Merchan would be considerably outside the navigational beacons to send him to even a day in jail.”
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Trump given an exception on Monday
Earlier on Monday, Trump participated in an interview with a probation officer, a usual step in such proceedings. Exceptionally, court officials allowed the former president to take part in this virtually. Additionally, Turley mentioned his belief that Judge Juan Merchan might favor prosecutors in his decisions, noting that any result could be possible.
“There’s a lot of pressure. You know, when I came out of that courtroom after the verdict, it was like the Roman games. I mean, people were static, to a point that it was difficult to watch,” Turley said. “People were dancing in the streets. That’s the environment around this courthouse.”
Read also: Donald Trump is in trouble in Florida
“And there were other people who were in deep, you know, agony and sorrow,” he continued. “It was a picture of the United States and it was not necessarily a good one. I mean, I stood there for a second and took it in, because it was such a bizarre, bifurcated scene.”
