From The Marshall Project:
On Friday, after months of delay and prior assurances from the judge that Donald Trump would receive no jail time, the president-elect’s sentence was unconditionally discharged, sparing him from fines and probation too. Still, when he enters the White House in a few weeks, he will be the first sitting president with a felony conviction on his criminal record.
Trump invoked the unfairness of the criminal legal system at every turn of his legal case. He sought and received numerous delays, claimed the case was politically motivated, received immunity for his actions while president (effectively wiping several other criminal cases off the table), and asked for a last-minute intervention from the Supreme Court. But for many watching the trial — especially people behind bars — Trump’s treatment, and his rare and lenient sentence, underscores the notion that the American legal system has two tiers: One for the rich and powerful, and another for everyone else.
The Marshall Project reached out to people who have been in Trump’s shoes at several critical junctures during his legal proceedings. A range of people with felony convictions told us that they weren’t afforded the same treatment Trump received during his arraignment. When a jury convicted him of 34 felonies for falsifying business records in connection to a hush money payment made to an adult film actress, some told us they hoped he would spend time behind bars to understand the plight of millions of Americans in prisons and jails. Continue reading >>>
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