Trump scheduled for probation hearing

The probation officer's report is supposed to help Judge Juan Merchan determine a sentence

(Image credit: Eric Thayer for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

published 10 June 2024

What happened

Donald Trump is scheduled to meet remotely Monday with a New York City Probation Department official for a mandatory interview before his sentencing for 34 felony convictions. In an unusual arrangement, Trump and his lawyer Todd Blanche will participate via secure computer conferencing software from Florida, NBC News and The Associated Press said.

The probation officer could ask Trump about his personal and criminal history, and "what occurred that led to the charges against him," The New York Times said. The hearing is "also a chance for a defendant to say why they think they deserve a lighter punishment," the AP said. The officer's report is supposed to help Judge Juan Merchan determine a just sentence.

At a rally in Nevada on Sunday, Trump called his four criminal indictments a "disgrace" but otherwise said "next to nothing about this recent conviction," The New York Times said. "Still, a number of people at the rally wore shirts reading 'I'm voting for the convicted felon.'"

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.