General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI'm getting really tired of the media claiming that TFG will never spend a day in jail, even if he is convicted.
I don't buy this. If we can send a person to the moon, keep people in outer space or under the ocean, in the arctic for months or years at a time, we can put a damn president in prison and provide the security required. We can build a damn prison just for him. No one is above the law!
LakeArenal
(28,835 posts)hlthe2b
(102,329 posts)suggested that it can be done. And, it should. I thought I had bookmarked several articles, but can only find one. Still, from Slate:
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/06/would-a-former-president-get-secret-service-protection-in-prison.html
Frankly, with respect to a short-term contempt of court jailing, I think there could be a process worked out for a very short-term stay in the Manhattan jail (yeah it's the pits but he'd be monitored). If anyone thinks that locking him up after a day's session for 30 minutes-- with notice that each future violation would result in a doubling (or even quadrupling) of the prior time spent-- would not get his attention, I would argue strongly otherwise. 30 minutes, then an hour, 2 hours, 4 hours... It adds up quickly and is manageable. The SS can literally stand outside his cell with jail staff (But IMO should not engage him).
WarGamer
(12,463 posts)For this particular crime in this situation... there is rarely prison time.
Trueblue Texan
(2,437 posts)Silent Type
(2,933 posts)brooklynite
(94,679 posts)Neither your opinion or theirs or anyone else's will influence the verdict and sentence.
Trueblue Texan
(2,437 posts)brooklynite
(94,679 posts)Normalized or not, jail time in this case is up to the Judge and Jury, not the media pundits.
Trueblue Texan
(2,437 posts)...surely dissuades people who might become whistleblowers or could provide evidence, or may otherwise be willing to bring a complaint. Next time I'll check with you before I get upset about anything.
Tree Lady
(11,482 posts)put him in a military prison with cameras in room and SS down the hall in a office.
lindysalsagal
(20,718 posts)bring him his food trays.
elocs
(22,596 posts)Clearly, some people are more above the law than others and Trump is one of them and this has nothing to do with security or sending anyone to the moon.
I'll believe Trump will go to jail or prison when I see it happen. I would love to be wrong, but I don't think so.
Trueblue Texan
(2,437 posts)...but that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive to meet our ideal.
Trueblue Texan
(2,437 posts)...he didn't buy the notion that TFG can't be jailed. He said the Secret Service could work out the logistics,--that's their job,--but we have secure facilities available to jail the former president if it comes to that.
lindysalsagal
(20,718 posts)MOMFUDSKI
(5,612 posts)SS-guarded, building on prison property. Sell Mara lardo for the money to build him his own prison building.
ecstatic
(32,727 posts)then we need to stop with this bullshit about having a democracy where no one is above the law and just call our president a king. Or at least our republican presidents, because the unchecked lawlessness only applies to them.
I don't understand it. As a nation, I think we look stupid. We're not fooling anyone at this point. A country that cannot process a high ranking traitor / insurrectionist who tried to kill all of Congress.
Because it's better to not do anything than to have the appearance of locking up a political adversary. Even though everyone saw what happened on January 6th. But let's just keep burying our head in the sand. Feels better that way right?
We are the mighty USA!
Silent3
(15,254 posts)That said, I wouldn't myself say with great confidence that Trump will never spend a day in jail.
I would say, however, I've earned the cynicism that makes me think the odds are low, certainly much lower than they'd be under a truly equal system of justice.
First of all, I wish I could confidently rule out Trump ever being President again. While I think, regardless of closeness in the polls, Biden's actually got a much better chance of winning, the odds of Trump winning aren't comfortable low enough yet. They certaintly aren't zero.
If Trump regains the White House, he'll be home free. Even from jail time for state crimes. Trump can't stop state prosecutions from going forward, but I simply don't think state police are ever going to be able to arrest and incarcerate a sitting President.
Likely the only trial to reach a verdict before the election is the NY "hush money" case. Even if Trump is convicted, say, two-three months from now, he won't be jailed immediately. A separate sentencing hearing will be held first -- God knows how long after a conviction.
Then, once a sentence has been determined, even if jail time is the sentence, Trump will almost certainly be allowed to remain free until ALL appeals are played out.
Even without Trump ducking accountability by becoming President again, I expect the time between going to trial and every last appeal being exhausted to take so long Trump could easily die before seeing the inside of a cell. Notice how long Steve Bannon has remained free, even after being convicted for contempt of Congress nearly two years ago now?
And this speculation assumes that Trump doesn't get special treatment -- not a safe assumption. I think the odds are high that, even in a situation where anyone else would be going to prison, home arrest under the watchful gaze of the Secret Service is the worst punishment that will be doled out to Trump.
Trueblue Texan
(2,437 posts)...that may be the closest he gets to incarceration for a while anyway. Let it eat up his time on the campaign trail; let it wear him out; let it demonstrate to his base that just like them, he's a loser too. Maybe his being forced to sit there in his misery will give his base time to consider their choices. They are not a self-reflective bunch, but one can hope.
Blue Idaho
(5,052 posts)Just drop him off with a bedroll, a microwave, and an endless supply of Pizza Rolls.
BlueTsunami2018
(3,498 posts)But that doesnt make them less true.
Hes never going to jail. Id be surprised if he doesnt walk away Scott free from all of this.
Trueblue Texan
(2,437 posts)Because it makes the American people give up on justice. It makes them throw up their hands and say, oh, well...why fight for accountability, we won't get it anyway.
There is NO good reason why such a criminal shouldn't be held accountable except that we are willing to accept it. Other nations, far less mighty than ours, have sent their corrupt leaders to prison and we should do the same should he be found guilty! We should accept NO LESS than full accountability!