Trump attends pre-sentence hearing this Monday

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear at a pre-sentence hearing with a parole officer on Monday following his conviction last month, according to a Trump campaign official and two sources familiar with the matter. subject.

The interview will be virtual and, as to CNN previously reported, Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche will be in attendance. Typically, a convicted defendant meets with a probation officer without an attorney.

Monday’s routine pre-sentence interview, which was first reported by NBC News, will be part of the report the probation department will present to Judge Juan Merchan to help decide Trump’s punishment before his sentencing, scheduled for July 11th.

Last month, a Manhattan jury found Trump — the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee — guilty of all 34 counts in his accounting fraud trial, making him the first former president to be convicted of a crime.

Trump does not have to cooperate with the routine pre-sentence investigation, but a judge could draw a negative conclusion from his lack of cooperation with the process.

At the pre-sentence interview, the defendant is typically asked about their conviction and other basic information, such as employment and criminal history.

As part of the process, Trump’s legal team may send Merchan letters of support from his friends and family. The former president’s team is expected to present its sentencing recommendation on Thursday, according to a source familiar with the plan.

“President Trump and his legal team are already taking the necessary steps to challenge and defeat the Manhattan District Attorney’s illegal case,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement Saturday.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office will also submit a memo telling the judge what sentence it considers appropriate for Trump.

Merchan could sentence Trump to probation or up to four years in state prison on each count, with a maximum of 20 years.

Prosecutors never attempted to take Trump into custody, so the former president is free pending sentencing.