Donald Trump’s sentencing date is a nightmare for him
Donald Trump was unanimously convicted on thirty-four felony counts today, in a major victory for the rule of law. But because the court system has its own timetable, his sentencing won’t happen until July 11th. While none of us want to have to wait that long, the date is actually rather fitting.
July 11th is just four days before the start of the Republican National Convention. This means that unless Trump can get the judge to change the schedule, Trump will be handed his sentence right before he has to go into the convention and convince the delegates on the floor not to take the nomination away from him.
There’s still no way to predict what the sentence will be. Precedent says that only about ten percent of people who are convicted on this kind of felony charge – which is the lowest level of felony – end up being sentenced to prison. However, Trump has been convicted on thirty-four of these felonies, which is a lot. His misbehavior during the trial, including violating his gag order by attacking witnesses, could also be a factor in sentencing.
But no matter what sentence Trump is handed on July 11th, whether it’s prison, or house arrest, or probation, or an ankle monitor, or whatever else it ends up being, Trump will then have to limp into the Republican National Convention just a few days later with that sentence hanging around his neck. If the Republicans still want to go through with nominating someone this vulnerable, then so be it. Bring it on.
