As I told Newsweek, NY Judge Juan Merchan should sentence to Trump to a hefty fine. That would send a message that no one is above the law, deter others from committing fraud, and permit Trump to serve as president unencumbered by prison time.
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First tRumps crime wasnt about the hush money, rather about using the campaign money in a unlawful way. Secondly a fine for tRump or any rich man would be a permission to brake the law; "if you can pay, you can brake" rule will be and are devastating for the society, as we can all see.
Money means nothing to him as he will just grift it from the people, that is not accountability. I believe he deserves jail time but since they allowed him to delay, the people deserve accountability which hopefully will come in 2029. Let it hang over him all through his undeserved presidency.
The fact that this man is getting away with so much is pathetic. SCOTUS bears a good deal of the responsibility. The Justices should be investigated starting with Thomas and Alito then moving on to Kavanaugh.
If the case is held over until Trump is out of office, do you think he will try to take it to the Supreme Court? What, if anything, can they do since he’s already been convicted?
🤣 If you think this will work I have a bridge to sell you. Absurd logic ! He'll never ever pay any fines. He'll appeal and drag it out causing exhaustion. The exhausted side will cave as usual. Stop thinking WE can stop this man. HE OWNS the Judicial system across the board !
No.
Trump didn’t take a plea deal. 34 felony convictions mandate prison—anyone else would already be behind bars. Letting him walk proves the rich are above the law.
If he avoids prison, it teaches every child that justice in America isn’t blind—it’s for sale.
It’s a given that the children of rich Republican’s will never have to go to war and they have a pretty good chance of never getting charged with a crime that they commit.
Would other people in the situation be sentenced to prison? If yes, then the only thing he can do is sentence him to prison. That shows no one is above the law.
It's taking it easy on people who mean to harm the US that we have continued to allow this to happen.
So his rich a-hole buddies will just pay it and he goes along his merry way. What's the point, Barb? Gotta tell you, it has started to feel like the American justice system is just a bunch of fancy words with zero consequences. There exists more logic and justice in the fictional Star Wars universe.
Your message that "no one is above the law" it false. Trump clearly is. A fine is not deterrance to him/billionaries.Options?The only one left is prison time.
I have an ice cold take: a fine is an appropriate sentence for someone with no prior felony convictions. The only reason we want more is because he will avoid trial for his more serious crimes.
This is a horrible take and unexpected coming from you. The only deterrent for rich people criming (or people who can get gifted unlimited sums of money from rich people) is jail time. Fines mean rich people can do whatever they want.
Yeah, because fining billionaires has a history of modifying their behavior. Every person who either works or has worked in the justice system needs to stop saying “no one is above the law” We always suspected it was a lie. Now we know it’s bullshit.
They'll do nothing as usual. Or even better they'll assign the "huge" fine and he'll delay it until it's appealed all the way to his favorite SCOTUS. Our judiciary can't figure out how to deal with him. Still. smdh.
And would show the world that if you have $$ you are above the law. Cadet Bone Spurs has been subjected to huge fines, not paid them, and proceeded to do it all over again. No, I don't think a fine will suffice. Just my opinion.
On a somewhat unrelated topic, do you think Fani Willis’s case in GA can proceed with Trump’s RICO co-conspirators while he is in Office? And it’s really a shame the stolen classified documents and obstruction case in Florida was dismissed by Cannon with an assist from Thomas.
This is absolutely wrong. Totally. Ever since Nixon was pardoned there has never been a clearer, more illustrative chance to prove to the American people that there is a functional justice system in America. To let him skate will be proof that both the DOJ & NYAG are to some extent corrupt. Period.
No, No, No!!! Stop making accomodations & excuses for this pig! I am so angry that everyone bends over backwards to find ways for Trump to squirm out of any accountability. I am a New Yorker who remembers horrible Trump from as far back as the Spy Magazine days, and he's ALWAYS been a criminal.
I agree. Fine him in accordance with the expected penalties described for the crimes for which he was found guilty.
His criminal actions were not presidential in nature.
They were just simply crimes he committed as a private citizen.
But he also lied.
Bad donald.
I understand the frustration, but prison for sitting president is not an option. Judge could dismiss the case, assess a fine now, or imprison in 2029. No perfect option.
States should try to incarcerate him. He’s not above the law which is not functioning as law at all. He’s not a king. The US Supreme Court aren’t kingmakers.
This is a constitutional crisis. We need to push a little to break everything.
Please the asshole deserves prison period. Unfortunately, not a single soul was willing to carry out what exactly needed to be carried out. I'm not so sure you truly understand the frustration, but 🤔 This is what is going to happen within 6 months after Jan.
Let the judge jail him now he isn't a sitting president
If Congress doesn't like t they can use art 4 sec1 to declare that judicial proceedings null and void
I think he should go to prison - the law is the law. I don’t care if he was elected or not. He’s a felon, so he should serve his sentence like anyone else.
I’d prefer a prison sentence even if it’s served in 2029. Any fine, no matter how large, would just be paid by donors, Musk, and his buddies. A fine is nothing to him.
He’s not a sitting president—and if he’s behind bars, he won’t be able to become one.
34 felony convictions demand prison, just like they would for anyone else.
Either you stand for the rule of law and fairness, or you don’t. Anything less undermines justice.
No, it really isn’t.
I want to see the felon doing the same time that a regular citizen would face. This won’t cut it for me.
Money means nothing to him…his ignorant sycophants would just fill in the blanks.
Option for, though unrelated, is a full admission to lies about the 2020 election. With jail time out, maybe this would actually make some impact for the better of the country.
He's not President until January 20th. Make him sit in a cell until the 18th.
It does grind my gears seeing legal theorists being all pragmatic about prison not being an option, when he shouldn't be allowed to run in the first place. Your professional class has analyzed itself into irrelevance.
It's a reasonable judgement that doesn't hold the punishment until after the end of Trump's term like some litigious Sword of Damocles. Though I doubt Trump will stop at anything less than dismissal because, well, he's Trump.
The disconnect isn't your saying in your above post that you understand the frustration, but prison time for a sitting president is not an option
but rather your claiming in your original post that a hefty fine would send a message. The latter undermines the former having said send-a-message impact.
Agreed, but isn't Trump already doing cartwheels trying to get out of paying the fines he owes for cheating on his business operations (insurance and such), plus all the millions in fines he owes Ms. Carroll? Is he really even that rich? Or do suggest selling his buildings? I like that!
The hefty fine is a perfect answer. It sends the right message about not being above the law. And he’ll pay it and no one will ever know he abused the presidency to extort the money.
Huge fine and jail in 2029 but really the fine will be paid by his dumb Maga supporters because they are being conned and continue to give him their money
During his first term I checked the news on my phone every morning, waiting for the thing that would finish him. Eventually I realized that thing doesn't exist. He was right when he said he could murder somebody and his followers wouldn't care.
Sentence and suspend the sentence until he is no longer in office. It makes the conviction final and prevents him from getting security clearances which limits the damage he can do.
It's wildly unjust but I do think you are right about a large fine. Trump is a fragile character and having the possibility of imprisonment waiting for him would be an encouragement for him to retain power and also an additional burden on a socially incompetent, super-powerful fascist sociopath.
Shame on you. You are an officer of the court and a law professor. If you can't understand the existential crisis this presents for our system of justicer, you certainly have no idea of the frustration. Your response is bloodless and glib.
I prefer postponing imprisonment until 2029. Fines have little to no effect on him. the idea of imprisonment terrifies him. Even if he somehow escapes that solution, he'd still be living with the prospect of it for his entire presidency.
I’m not familiar with the NY legal process but in California a judge can suspend the imposition of jail time during the period of probation. Can he do that?
Forget the fine, he'll just find someone to pay for it. I like the idea of the '29 imprisonment. Either Judge Merchan or Father Time waiting for this SOB. Perfect.
Problem I see is what a huge fine for us would be is not a huge fine for him when he has Musk as well as his PACs as piggy banks behind him. Gotta tell yeah, when I talked about 'no man above the law' when teaching Civics, I got hammered by my students because they're intelligent young people.
A hefty fine would be great, but his mindless rubes would donate the money for the fine and he will still be undaunted. In my humble opinion, prison is the only way he will actually be held accountable.
I agree totally that he needs a consequence. In addition to fine, can’t the court impose a sentence and then suspend it? Jail is not my hope. Accountability is.
He’d get an oligarch who wants something to pay it and nobody would learn anything. Unfortunately, the GOP machine made him above the law. It’s what they’ve always wanted. They want to rule; not to govern
Elmo had paid hackers.Republicans already had all needed prior stolen election machine& voter data. All 7 swing states?
Ukraine is hacking Russian drones to redirect to Belarus.Starlink is spyware.
It happened.
But it still starves the voting population of [actual] justice, and reinforces that the system is two-tiered. Reporters (across the media spectrum) repeat how people are disaffected, or have 'lost faith' in institutions. This is how that happens. Time and again.
He will not pay a fine. One of his donors will. He will never pay for anything again.
At this level it sends no signal - it is noise. IF you are not elected to a position where billionaires pay your way, a big fine hurts. We have that.
The only thing he has that can’t be replaced is time.
Prison.
The fines should be match the crimes, he worked the system and paid off with magazine covers and chicken feed the greedy lawyers and the clients who were played. Merchan should put a hefty fine (millions) that will send a message that crimes does pay but it costs lots.
I disagree. He should face the same consequences as any other person who committed the crimes. We waited this long. He can serve time once he's out. Also there needs to be a deterrent hanging over his head so that he does not repeat them. Because otherwise he will.
A substantial fine sounds better than nothing. With his 4 felony cases disappearing one-by-one, Trump has made a mockery of the entire legal system. All is not lost, yet.
Why didn’t he sentence him and defer implementation until after his presidency? Or at least the fine you mentioned (but we all know others would pay his fine.)
Fining rich people who have the excess to blow, is not justice. Our laws really need to take circumstances into consideration when deciding on proper punishment.
I feel a delayed prison sentence would send a stronger message that he is a criminal and not above the law. With that said, he could burn the country down the closer to the end of his term to stay out…or retain power.
I beg to differ. 34 felonies, surrounding Presidential election fraud, requires a prison term. He is NOT the president, yet. He can be required to report to prison before his term begins. THAT would be justice. If Vance wants to pardon him, he'd have to admit he's guilty.
Let Trump serve as President?! No way!!! Putin controls Trump through kompromat. Putin will control our country through Trump if we fail to keep Trump out of office.
Barb, you’re terrific and I enjoy following you but if you’re still trying to hang onto the concept that no one is above the law I’m sorry but that’s a bit absurd at this point.
tRump will just get his followers to buy his overpriced merch or donate money directly to cover any fine. I’d be happier if he got even one weekend of arduous, humiliating community service (like picking up roadside trash)—but my expectations by now are very low.
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I get the sentiment but this just seems like window dressing.
Trump didn’t take a plea deal. 34 felony convictions mandate prison—anyone else would already be behind bars. Letting him walk proves the rich are above the law.
If he avoids prison, it teaches every child that justice in America isn’t blind—it’s for sale.
https://19thnews.org/2023/10/donald-trump-associates-sexual-misconduct-allegations/
It's taking it easy on people who mean to harm the US that we have continued to allow this to happen.
This criminal has skated his whole life.
A fine won't even make a dent. Someone else will pay for it or he'll sell state secrets to raise the cash.
He did the crime, he should do the time. I don't care what his job is, he should be held accountable like anyone else.
I prefer my felons ENCUMBERED.
There's no way you'd really also "obey in advance" is there?
Sad days for lady justice
His criminal actions were not presidential in nature.
They were just simply crimes he committed as a private citizen.
But he also lied.
Bad donald.
Don't seem really serious.
Cut the clown act. Nobody believes in your sense of "justice".
Take a bow. Your commentary is and was absolute rubbish.
This is a constitutional crisis. We need to push a little to break everything.
He's not a king.
He has been emboldened by the lack of jurisprudence,
If Congress doesn't like t they can use art 4 sec1 to declare that judicial proceedings null and void
34 felony convictions demand prison, just like they would for anyone else.
Either you stand for the rule of law and fairness, or you don’t. Anything less undermines justice.
I want to see the felon doing the same time that a regular citizen would face. This won’t cut it for me.
Money means nothing to him…his ignorant sycophants would just fill in the blanks.
I have lost all respect for the "justice" system in this country.
It does grind my gears seeing legal theorists being all pragmatic about prison not being an option, when he shouldn't be allowed to run in the first place. Your professional class has analyzed itself into irrelevance.
but rather your claiming in your original post that a hefty fine would send a message. The latter undermines the former having said send-a-message impact.
Wouldn't happen, though.
Perfect solution would be invoke Amd 14, Sec 3, but who would do that?
One way to break rule of law and Constitution, is to fail application of these. Seems to be the course.
I'd still like to see him "serve" the American people by serving his time.
And a hefty fine.
How could consequences be pursued if he just ignores the fine?
We are actually in a parallel universe rn
At least he could have concrete consequences.
Ukraine is hacking Russian drones to redirect to Belarus.Starlink is spyware.
It happened.
At this level it sends no signal - it is noise. IF you are not elected to a position where billionaires pay your way, a big fine hurts. We have that.
The only thing he has that can’t be replaced is time.
Prison.
No one is above the law, and that includes POTUS.
Equal justice under law, and justice for all.
Not being sarcastic towards you, just saying
I have a much better plan than sparing Trump a prison sentence.
#DeclassifyTrump
#ImpeachTrumpNow
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/11/21/2287839/-We-Can-Stop-Trump?_=2024-11-21T11:19:50.000-08:00