Former
U.S.
President
Trump
found
guilty
on
34
felony
counts
of
falsifying
business
records
during
his
trial
at
Manhattan
Criminal
Court
May
30th
2024
in
New
York
City.
Steven
Hirsch
|
Via
Reuters
Former
President
Trump
is
scheduled
to
sit
for
a
virtual
interview
on
Monday
with
a
New
York
City
probation
officer from
his
home
at
Mar-a-Lago
with
his
attorney
Todd
Blanche
at
his
side
after
he
was found
guilty
on
all
counts
in
the
hush
money
trial against
him
last
month,
three
sources
familiar
with
the
matter
told
NBC
News.
Trump,
the
presumptive
Republican
presidential
nominee,
was
convicted
last
month
on
all
34
felony
counts
of
falsifying
business
records
in
the historic
case.
The
probation
interview
is
required
by
the
court
as
part
of
the
former
president’s
pre-sentencing
report.
More
from
NBC
News:
Judge
Juan
Merchan,
who
is
presiding
over
the
hush
money
case,
permitted
Blanche
to
be
present
for
the
probation
interview
over
a
video
call
after
prosecutors
did
not
object.
The
Trump
defense
team
is
scheduled
to
submit
their
sentencing
recommendation
on
June
13.
The
former
president
is
scheduled
to
be sentenced for
all
34
felony
counts
in
New
York
on
July
11,
days
before
the
Republican
National
Convention
begins.
Some
legal
experts
noted
that
holding
a
probation
interview
over
a
video
conference
call
is
unusual
but
having
the
former
president
in
a
New
York
probation
would
also
be
unprecedented.
Martin
Horn,
former
commissioner
of
the
New
York
City
Department
of
Corrections
and
Probation,
told
NBC
News,
“it
is
highly
unusual
for
a
pre-sentence
investigation
interview
to
be
done
over
Zoom,”
but
acknowledged
that
an
in-person
visit
by
Trump
to
the
probation
office
would
be
“very
disruptive.”
“But
you
can
argue
that
Trump’s
appearance
at
the
probation
office
on
the
10th
floor
of
the
Criminal
Court
Building
in
Manhattan
where
his
trial
took
place,
with
Secret
Service
and
press
following
him,
would
be
very
disruptive
to
the
probation
office
and
unfair
to
other
defendants
who
might
not
want
to
be
identified,”
he
said.
“So
in
the
end,
this
might
be
better
for
the
probation
officer.”
Horn
noted
that
the
typical
purpose
of
a
probation
interview
is
to
obtain
information
on
Trump’s
social
and
criminal
history,
financial
resources,
history
of
mental
health,
physical
or
addiction
issues
as
well
as
to
assess
his
living
situation.
Trump
could
also
be
asked
if
he
is
associating
with
anyone
with
a
criminal
record
because
he
cannot
associate
with
them
if
he
is
placed
on
probation,
Horn
said.
The
probation
officer
may
also
want
to
interview
others
in
Trump’s
home
afterward.
Although
officers
typically
fulfill
their
inquiries
in
one
session,
there
could
be
follow-up
interviews.
The
probation
officer
will
then
write
a
report
and
deliver
it
to
Merchan.
The
former
president
is
facing
anywhere
from
probation
to
up
to
four
years
in
prison.
Some
legal
experts
have
argued
Trump
is
unlikely
to
face
imprisonment
due
to
his
age,
lack
of
a
criminal
record
and
other
factors.
Duncan
Levin,
a
former
Manhattan
prosecutor
turned
defense
attorney,
said
the
prosecution
is
likely
to
ask
for
jail
time.
Blanche,
Trump’s
lawyer,
will
be
present
to
ensure
no
questions
put
his
client
in
legal
jeopardy,
Levin
said.
Although
the
hearing
may
seem
like
an
unnecessary
step
due
to
Trump
being
one
of
the
most
vetted
public
figures,
it
is
the
court’s
way
of
judging
who
he
is
beyond
what
came
to
light
during
the
trial.
“It
is
unlikely
to
move
the
needle
because
the
judge
knows
so
much
about
his
background,”
Levin
said,
referring
to
the
probation
hearing.
Levin
also
pointed
to Merchan’s
gag
order
against
Trump after
he
attacked
members
of
his
family
and
the
past
jail
sentence
of
Michael
Cohen,
Trump’s
self-described
former
fixer
who
acted
as
the
prosecution’s
star
witness, for
a
series
of
federal
charges,
including
lying
to
Congress.
“To
the
extent
that
an E
felony is
punishable
by
jail,
this
case
screams
out
for
jail
time,
he
has
shown
no
remorse
and
has
been
held
in
contempt
10
times,
but
the
judge
warned
him
if
he
breaks
the
gag
order
I
will
send
you
to
jail
and
then
he
did
it
again
several
times,”
Levin
said.
“And
subverting
the
election
process
is
as
serious
a
records
violation
as
has
ever
come
through
the
New
York
courts.”
