The Secret Service has issued a statement regarding the recent conviction of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan. The agency emphasized that the 34 felony counts would not impact its duty to protect him.
“Today’s outcome has no bearing on the manner in which the United States Secret Service carries out its protective mission. Our security measures will proceed unchanged,” the agency said.
“For all settings around the world, we study locations and develop comprehensive and layered protective models that incorporate state of the art technology, protective intelligence and advanced security tactics to safeguard our protectees,” Secret Service’s chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi stated before the verdict was handed down on Thursday.
“The judge could sentence him to anything between zero and the max,” defense attorney Dan Horwitz, who formerly was a prosecutor for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, said to CBS News. “So he could sentence him to a period of months in jail, he could sentence him to a period of weeks in jail, he could sentence him to a sentence where he is required, for example, to go to jail every weekend for a period of time and then serve the rest of the sentence on probation.”
Norm Eisen, a lawyer and ex-diplomat known for his open criticism of the previous president, stated that approximately 10% of these cases result in the convicted individual being incarcerated, but emphasized that judges should not take this into account when determining sentencing.
“Trump could also be sentenced to home detention, where he would wear an ankle bracelet and be monitored rather than going to jail. Horwitz suggested that a home detention sentence, which walks a middle ground between no punishment and a stint in state prison, might be the most likely outcome. It would also satisfy Trump’s unusual security and political situation,” CBS News said.
“A home detention sentence would also make it possible for Trump to continue campaigning — albeit virtually — with the ability to hold news conferences and remain active on social media. Throughout the trial, Justice Juan Merchan stressed the importance of allowing Trump the ability to campaign and exercise his First Amendment rights as he seeks another term in the White House. But it’s just part of the equation that the judge must weigh in his decision,” the outlet added.
Horowitz mentioned that the ex-president’s persistent claims of innocence and criticism towards the judge and court may have a negative impact on his sentencing.
“Courts will credit a defendant who pleads guilty by accepting responsibility for their conduct, as opposed to not accepting responsibility going into trial and getting convicted,” he said as he explained that “the sentence after a trial because you didn’t accept responsibility is more stringent than it would have otherwise been.”