It has been reported that the former President Donald Trump will meet with an official of the New York City Probation Department on Monday. Trump, as well as Todd Blanche, his attorney, will meet virtually from Mar-a-lago. Usually defendants do not have a lawyer with them during these meetings, and Trump had to get special permission to allow it. This meeting follows Trump’s conviction, using a novel legal theory to turn a misdemeanor into a felony.
During the interview with the probation officer, Trump will be asked about the conviction. He has said he will appeal the verdict. The contents of the meeting between Trump and the probation officer will be confidential, and only Trump, his lawyers, and the judge will have access to them.
It is unclear whether Trump’s appeal will be successful, but he seemingly has strong grounds for appeal given Judge Juan Merchan’s apparent conflicts of interest. Merchan, who oversaw the case, had donated to Democrats in the past and has a daughter who works in Democratic politics, including for Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), who helped prepare Michael Cohen for his testimony in the trial against Trump.
If Trump’s appeal fails, he may either be sent to jail or be assigned community service, which might include work in a food pantry, picking up trash from the streets, or performing other tasks.
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