Alternet: Ex-federal prosecutor: Why Trump's NY 'sentencing should proceed promptly'

[Dennis Donovan]

Alternet - Ex-federal prosecutor: Why Trump’s NY 'sentencing should proceed promptly'



As President-Elect Donald Trump and his attorneys seek to make the MAGA leader's legal cases disappear following his election victory, former federal prosecutor Randall Eliason makes the case for why Trump's New York hush money case sentencing should still move forward.

"Out of an abundance of caution," Judge Juan "Merchan avoided a preelection sentencing that potentially could have influenced the election," Eliason writes in a Sunday op-ed published by The Atlantic. "But the election result changes nothing about the criminal case. Now that the election is over, sentencing should proceed promptly."

The George Washington University white-collar criminal law professor notes, "Once in office, Trump may cancel federal prosecutions of himself and his allies. He has threatened to use the Justice Department to pursue political opponents. He may seek to bend the justice system to his will in unprecedented ways. But that doesn’t mean the DA or Merchan should 'obey in advance' by abandoning the jury’s verdict."

The fact the president-elect’s lawyers "are essentially arguing that the election wipes the slate clean, that the people have spoken and all criminal matters must be dismissed," is pure "nonsense," Eliason emphasizes.

Although "a majority of voters apparently concluded that Trump’s criminal cases were not disqualifying—just as the sexual assaults, pandemic response, efforts to overturn the last election, and many other things apparently were not disqualifying," Eliason continues, "that doesn’t mean they didn’t happen or that Trump is not legally and morally responsible."

/snip

[Tadpole Raisin]

1. That's right. Sentence him and suspend it for his full 4 year term.

Yes we are in uncharted waters but he was found guilty and to say that the election requires the guilty verdict and sentencing to be reversed would be a travesty worse than what Ford did with Nixon.

It will affect his ability to be President. No it didn’t- he was elected.

I think Merchan would be willing to sentence but wants the prosecutors to take a stand and not have it all on him. He was found guilty. Sentence him.

If the appeal reverses it that’s no different than if the judge reversed it himself and we will know with absolute certainty that Presidents are immune. I would hope that by the time the appeal is well into being considered TSF will have done so many (more) horrible things that they see reversal would put the final nail in country coffin.

What is there to lose?

[MrWowWow]

2. So, a Suspended (i e. "Delayed") Prison Sentence Then?

-that begins if and after tramp is no longer president but still has a pulse??

[Tadpole Raisin]

3. Darn straight!! nt

[SoCalDavidS]

4. Tired Of "Former" Prosecutors Saying What SHOULD Happen

It’s obvious by now that we’re in a different reality, so perhaps predict what will probably happen.

I expect a slap on the wrist, if we’re lucky. And the remaining Federal cases to go nowhere. Maybe the GA case gets pushed to 2029.