Trump’s conditions of release
Donald Trump is currently under “conditions of release” in three jurisdictions. He is under pretrial release for his Georgia criminal case and his federal Washington DC criminal case. He is under condition of release pending sentencing for his New York case in which he has already been convicted on 34 felony counts. Should his unlawfully dismissed Florida documents case be reinstated — and it probably will be — Trump will be under condition of release for that case as well.
The conditions of release for the three extant cases explicitly state that Donald Trump is to commit no crimes in any jurisdiction anywhere. He is not to commit any local, state or federal crimes of any kind, from misdemeanours to felonies. Failure to comply could result in immediate incarceration.
According to former prosecutor and political commentator Glenn Kirschner, Donald Trump appears to have committed a crime in violation of the state law of Arizona. Trump suggested that former Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney should be shot in the face with nine rifles. “We’ll know soon enough whether the law enforcement authorities in Arizona believe that his threatening statements about Liz Cheney violate Arizona state law,” Kirschner says. In Kirschner’s opinion, Trump has indeed violated the law in Arizona.
Should Trump be indicted in Arizona, that could mean he is in violation of his conditions of release in all three jurisdictions. If prosecutors file motions to that effect, and those motions are granted based on the evidence in one or more of the three jurisdictions, then a warrant will be issued for Trump’s arrest.
But there’s more than one way to achieve the same result. Trump doesn’t necessarily have to commit a crime. Kirschner explains: “When you’re a defendant in a felony case, if there’s clear and convincing evidence that you, your conduct, your statement, pose a danger to the community, or even one person in the community, you should be detained pending trial.”
There can be no doubt that Trump has already endangered the lives of numerous citizens of different communities with his words. Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, FEMA workers rescuing survivors after two devastating hurricanes, election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, the governor of Michigan and even the former Vice President of the United States all know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of Donald Trump’s mouth. Whenever Trump opens his hate-filled mouth, some American somewhere suffers harm.
Then why hasn’t Trump been arrested and imprisoned? Good question, and a question for which there can be but two answers. Either the people with the power to act against him are afraid to do so, or the people with the power to act against him are themselves supporters of the fascist bastard.
That’s what is keeping Trump safe from incarceration — for the moment. Once the election has been decided in favour of Kamala Harris and Trump has lost his power, I hope someone does something to lock that creepy fruitcake up. It’s time to be rid of him.
The presidential oath of office includes the promise to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” The Constitution was created for “We the people,” so failure to fulfil the presidential oath is failure to “preserve, protect and defend” ALL of the people, not just some. Trump is a clear and present danger to many American citizens, and as such, he has not only broken the law, he has violated his sacred oath. And, as ever, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, stay safe.
Robert Harrington is an American expat living in Britain. He is a portrait painter.