- Monday is the primary day of Donald Trump’s prison hush-money trial.
- Throughout pretrial arguments, his marketing campaign texted supporters saying he “could possibly be locked up for all times.”
- Authorized specialists have mentioned it is unlikely Trump will spend any time behind bars if convicted.
As the primary day of Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial received underway in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday, the previous president’s reelection marketing campaign blasted out a textual content message to supporters saying that he “could possibly be locked up for all times.”
Nevertheless, authorized specialists have beforehand advised Enterprise Insider that the probabilities of Trump spending any time behind bars if he’s convicted within the case are slim to none.
Throughout a courtroom lunch break Monday, Trump’s workforce despatched out an “emergency memo” to supporters alerting them, “THIS IS NOT AMERICA! MY TRIAL JUST STARTED…”
“I’ll be trustworthy with you,” the message learn, “I do not know what is going to occur. I could possibly be locked up for all times.”
The message continued, “THEY HAVE NO CASE, however they’re nonetheless taking me to courtroom. Proper now, I would like your help greater than ever.”
Backers are requested within the memo to ship a “message of help” to Trump.
“I’ll attempt to learn your entire responses earlier than I’m going to mattress tonight,” the textual content says. “This message would not should be lengthy, however it could be very nice to listen to from you. PLEASE RESPOND.”
On the finish of the message, supporters had been inspired to donate cash to Trump’s reelection marketing campaign.
Trump’s first criminal trial was to kick off Monday with jury choice after a morning of ultimate pretrial arguments.
Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying enterprise information. Prosecutors accuse him of mendacity on paperwork to disguise hush-money funds to Stormy Daniels, an grownup movie actress.
Prosecutors say Trump’s ex-personal lawyer and former fixer, Michael Cohen, facilitated $130,000 in funds to Daniels simply days earlier than the 2016 presidential election to purchase her silence over a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. Trump has denied the fees.
Authorized specialists have advised BI that first-offenders just about by no means go to jail for the sort of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump faces.
However Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg can nonetheless search to lock Trump up if he’s convicted, the specialists advised BI, given that every rely of felony falsifying of enterprise information permits as much as a most of 4 years in jail.
Prosecutors may also ask for extra possible penalties — together with a hefty high quality, group service, and probation — within the occasion that the 77-year-old former president is convicted.
Earlier than Trump headed into the courtroom on Monday morning, he referred to as the case in opposition to him “political persecution.”
“That is an assault on America,” he mentioned. “Nothing like this has ever occurred earlier than, there’s by no means been something prefer it.”
The hush-money case is the primary of Trump’s 4 prison instances to go to trial earlier than the 2024 election, the place Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee in opposition to President Joe Biden.
The trial is anticipated to final six weeks.
