C_Clayton_Jones
Diamond Member
- Apr 28, 2011
- 77,209
- 37,174
‘…considering the context of Trump’s crimes and his propensity to threaten judges, juries and witnesses, significant prison time is the only punishment that fits the crime and this convict.
[…]
Merchan wrote in a pretrial ruling that “while it is true that the charges involve the lowest level felony and no one suffered physical harm, it can hardly be said that the allegations are not severe.” He stressed: “The People claim that the Defendant paid an individual $130,000 to conceal a sexual encounter in an effort to influence the 2016 Presidential election and then falsified 34 business records to cover up the payoff. In this Court’s view, those are serious allegations.” And, therefore, the convictions are serious.
In addition to the gravity of the offense, the factors weighing most heavily in favor of a significant prison sentence are Trump’s conduct and character. It is not “simply” that Trump has multiple civil judgments against him (e.g., sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll, inflating his property values and misusing charitable funds) or that he spearheaded a violent insurrection to overturn an election or even that his conduct resulted in multiple contempt citations in Merchan’s and Justice Arthur Engoron’s courtrooms. In this case, character and conduct also encompass how Trump treats the criminal justice system ...’
Trump’s crime was election interference in the 2016 presidential campaign; Trump falsified business records to facilitate his crime of election interference.
It’s a lie to claim that Trump was convicted on ‘minor charges’; election interference is a serious offense for which incarceration is perfectly appropriate.
[…]
Merchan wrote in a pretrial ruling that “while it is true that the charges involve the lowest level felony and no one suffered physical harm, it can hardly be said that the allegations are not severe.” He stressed: “The People claim that the Defendant paid an individual $130,000 to conceal a sexual encounter in an effort to influence the 2016 Presidential election and then falsified 34 business records to cover up the payoff. In this Court’s view, those are serious allegations.” And, therefore, the convictions are serious.
In addition to the gravity of the offense, the factors weighing most heavily in favor of a significant prison sentence are Trump’s conduct and character. It is not “simply” that Trump has multiple civil judgments against him (e.g., sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll, inflating his property values and misusing charitable funds) or that he spearheaded a violent insurrection to overturn an election or even that his conduct resulted in multiple contempt citations in Merchan’s and Justice Arthur Engoron’s courtrooms. In this case, character and conduct also encompass how Trump treats the criminal justice system ...’
Trump’s crime was election interference in the 2016 presidential campaign; Trump falsified business records to facilitate his crime of election interference.
It’s a lie to claim that Trump was convicted on ‘minor charges’; election interference is a serious offense for which incarceration is perfectly appropriate.
