• Rapidcreek@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    177
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    7 months ago

    Said Merchan (per NBC News), "The last thing I want to do is to put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States, and possibly the next president as well. There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last resort for you.”

    I don’t care what job the defendant used to have or what job he’s applying for, and neither should Judge Merchan.

    He MUST be treated like any other defendant or we don’t have a functioning democracy or a justice system.

    Referencing his previous job or status as a political candidate is actually ‘special treatment’ and the judge absolutely should not be doing that. trump is a criminal defendant in a court of law, and the court of law is supposed to apply the law equally the same to all citizens.

    • Nougat@fedia.io
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      94
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      7 months ago

      Trump’s nonsense immunity claim doesn’t even apply here. He is not president. He has been found in criminal contempt for actions he took when not president.

      I am 100% certain that everyone is handling him with kid gloves because they know that treating him like any other defendant would likely result in violence. Well, guess what? There’s gonna be violence in November (and/or January and beyond) no matter what the election results are. Trump loses? Violence because “stolen election.” Trump wins? Violence because “Now we can hurt all the people we’ve always wanted to hurt.”

      It’s not a matter of “if.” It’s “when” and “to what extent.” Justifiably jailing Trump controls the “when,” making the response to “to what extent” more effective. It would also force Trump and his menials’ hands before the election.

      Let’s fucking go.

      • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        30
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        7 months ago

        It turns out America doesn’t just negotiate with terrorists; it in fact completely abandons any illusion of democracy, or a justice system, under the threat of terrorism — as long as it’s an oligarch from the private elite boys club.

        LOL

      • Xanis@lemmy.worldB
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        7 months ago

        You’re absolutely right that they are treating him with kid gloves due to the very real potential for violence. It is my belief they are trying to curb that guaranteed damage as much as possible. I am in agreement that he should have the book thrown at him and get special treatment for a weekend in a jail cell. Let him bring his slippers.

        BUT…I do get it. Assuming we’re right and they are trying to curb that violence, this does make sense. It just fucking sucks.

    • Delusional@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      19
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      7 months ago

      Everyone knows he’s been getting special treatment from the start. Idk why saying it out loud is a no-no.

    • evatronic@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      7 months ago

      Honestly, I read the judge’s statement as a sort of appeal to Trump’s ego and integrity. Like a, “Come on bro, you were the president, don’t make me throw you in jail,jackass.”

      It’s mostly performative, so the judge can say he didn’t want to when he eventually gets has to.

    • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      53
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      7 months ago

      He said he would sentence jail next time. Merchan is avoiding justification for a mistrial. It’s a good thing.

      • hoshikarakitaridia@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        45
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        edit-2
        7 months ago

        Yeah it bothers me so much that ppl don’t realize how the legal process works. If merchan makes any mistakes, his decision will get overturned. I want trump convicted and I want him to be unable to change that.

        • meleecrits@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          63
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          7 months ago

          To be fair, he was supposed to put up over $400 million to prevent asset forfeiture with a hard deadline. He ended up posting bond for about a quarter of that, nearly a month after the deadline with no consequences.

          A lot of people are rightfully skeptical that he’ll never face consequences for his illegal acts.

        • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          7 months ago

          Only because Trump has money for those appeals. Any other person would have been in jail already, because only the rich get a pretense of justice.

        • frezik@midwest.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          7 months ago

          The infractions being cited on this second go all happened before the first hearing had happened. He’s not moving any goalposts. Infractions that happen after the first hearing do have jail as the result.

        • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          7 months ago

          No, last time he stated that he could. This time he reinforced his stance against jailing a former president, but made it clear he would if another violation occurs. He’s playing it by the book.

    • randon31415@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      7 months ago

      These infractions came before he was fined the first time, but after the imposing of the gag order. Got to have him break the gag order after the judge says he’ll throw him in jail in order to get causality right.

  • Pretzilla@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    56
    ·
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    Sentence him to community service, picking up trash on the side of the highway in an orange jumpsuit. 40 hours per count.

    He wants to be jailed for his fundraising wet dream, so don’t give him that.

    Ed: looks like it’s getting some traction (gift link) Jail for the Chief? There’s a Better Punishment. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/06/opinion/trump-contempt-jail-punishment.html?unlocked_article_code=1.qE0.7izo.wEQIT2d_JJSW

  • TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    40
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    7 months ago

    Judge said next he will jail him because fines “are not working”.

    Sounds like the jury told him to say that. He better go on his money laundering scam Truth Social and rant about how unfair it all is.

    • athos77@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      21
      ·
      7 months ago

      Just to put the timeline straight: Marchan issued the gag order, trump retweeted 10 things that might have violated it, Marchan said that was wrong, trump said he hadn’t violated it, Marchan scheduled a hearing. Before the hearing occurred, trump again retweeted ?3? things that might have violated it. Marchan holds the hearing, finds trump in contempt on 9 of the 10 items - it’s at this point that trump’s retweets are established as mostly violating the gag order.

      Today’s hearing was in regard to the ?3? retweets made prior to the first hearing. He’s getting a fine today because the [comical] argument would’ve been made that, at the time of those, ?3? retweets (before the first hearing), he still believed his actions weren’t in contempt.

      I’m not sure if he’s done anything since that first hearing that might violate the gag order, but that’s when the clock started ticking. And, unfortunately, it only started ticking for those kind of violations. He might decide to try smirking finger-guns next, and argue that he was only just enthusiastically greeting an old friend :/

  • Stovetop@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    9
    ·
    7 months ago

    My god, you can see straight through his sad, fake, whispy hair to his deformed, pasty, Darth Vader scalp below in that thumbnail.