Donald Trump will have to report to the parole board after the verdict against him. He will probably not like going there at all. He should still behave, otherwise he could have problems during the election campaign and during possible state visits.
The New York court has found Donald Trump guilty on 34 charges. Although the sentence has not yet been determined and the former US president will want to appeal, the Republican is already having to take an embarrassing step.
In the courthouse where Trump was convicted, the parole board is located a few floors below the courtroom. The convicted person must now report there. The sentence depends not only on the criminal record and the crime convicted, but also on Trump’s personality in a report.
To do this, the presidential candidate must personally appear at the parole board. The Daily Mail describes this as an extremely unpleasant experience: The office is at the end of a long corridor. The sex offender registry office is also located there. Trump will therefore probably have to go there.
According to the report, the parole office has a dreary reception area. There are grey plastic chairs lying around, the walls are light brown and the tiled floor is stained. The Daily Mail commented smugly: “If Trump thought the ‘freezing cold’ courtroom was bad, the parole office is even worse.” During the trial, the former president complained about the temperature and the smell in the courtroom, among other things.
However, Trump should not appear grumpy in his conversation with the parole board: The Daily Mail points out that the New York Justice Department could show mercy if the convicted person tries to “make a good impression and explain why he deserves a lighter sentence” in a conversation with a social worker or psychologist.
Trump must also provide information about his criminal history, his mental health and the circumstances of his conviction. The sentence can be reduced, for example, if the convicted person participates in a counseling program or has a steady job.
It is likely that Trump will have more experiences with the agency. Although the individual charges each carry a maximum sentence of four years in prison, observers are more likely to expect a suspended sentence. This would be subject to strict conditions.
This could pose a problem for both his election campaign and state visits in the event of a possible re-election. The conditions could also include travel restrictions. Trump’s probation officer would then have to give his approval for every trip to other states or countries. A meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, for example, would then depend on the assistant’s favor.
Once he is in prison, Trump may have to register with the authorities. He should take this obligation seriously, as it depends on the goodwill of his probation officer whether the conditions are relaxed. If his behavior is exemplary, probation interviews could then only be conducted by telephone.