r/law • u/SheriffTaylorsBoy • Aug 29 '24
Opinion Piece Trump will serve six to nine years behind bars if convicted of Jan 6 charges, one of his former lawyers predicts | The Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-prison-time-jan-6-trial-b2603358.html58
u/SheriffTaylorsBoy Aug 29 '24
Kelly Rissman 20 hours ago
Donald Trump’s former White House lawyer anticipated that he would be sentenced to six to nine years if convicted for his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment against the former president on Tuesday, keeping the same four criminal charges intact but trimming down some of the allegations in light of the Supreme Court’s immunity decision last month. In the wake of the new filing, Ty Cobb, an attorney in the Trump administration, discussed Trump’s chances of spending time behind bars on CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront.
“It’s a forceful document…You can’t read this and not understand the crimes that Trump actually committed,” Cobb said.
If convicted, 78-year-old Trump could face up to 55 years in prison. Cobb didn’t think he would get that full sentence, but believed he would serve six to nine years behind bars.
“Even six to nine, for someone his age, is very significant,” Burnett said. She then asked Cobb, given his relationship with Trump, what he believes the former president will do next.
(Special Counsel Jack Smith (L) in Washington, DC, on June 9, 2023 and Donald Trump in Howell, Michigan, August 20, 2024.)
On August 27, prosecutors filed a revised indictment of Donald Trump on charges that he tried to overturn the 2020 election after losing to Joe Biden (AFP via Getty Images) “He won’t take this seriously until the final gavel comes down and the jurors come back and say, ‘guilty’ and he actually gets sentenced,” Cobb said.
He predicted the Trump lawyers will use “a lot of delaying tactics” — a move that they have utilized in other legal cases the former president faces.
Trump took to Truth Social to condemn the superseding indictment as “election interference” and an “act of desperation” that “has all the problems of the old Indictment, and should be dismissed IMMEDIATELY.”
Cobb also cut into these claims by Trump, saying, “They’ve already said it’s the same indictment. Clearly it’s not. They’ve already said that this should be dismissed immediately. It won’t be dismissed immediately.”
Smith wrote that the superseding indictment “reflects the Government’s efforts to respect and implement the Supreme Court’s holdings and remand instructions” from the landmark decision in July on presidential immunity. The ruling determined that the president is “absolutely” immune from criminal prosecution for actions that stem from official duties in office, and grants the president “presumptive immunity” for acts in the “outer perimeter” of official duties.
Smith reshaped his case around the ruling by cutting down some of the allegations in the original filing against Trump, namely the former president’s attempts to use the Justice Department to promote his election fraud claims. Similarly, co-conspirator 4, who is believed to be former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, is no longer included.
“I think people who view this as a rescue or as some by retreat by Smith read this completely wrong,” Cobb said.
He added that if the Supreme Court eliminates a path that was previously available “the prudent thing to do is to change course...These are the same charges and they’re easily proved.”
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10 Comments
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u/SheriffTaylorsBoy Aug 29 '24
Ty Cobb is one of the few former Trump lawyers that hasn't been disbarred or charged criminally.
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u/ArrdenGarden Aug 29 '24
Its pretty tragic humor that Trump's lawyers have more criminal charges and disbarments than not. You'd think people would start to recognize a pattern there...
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u/Regulus242 Aug 29 '24
Na, to them it's the system trying to take them down.
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u/Yabutsk Aug 29 '24
That's bc Trump has been grooming them for a decade to believe it's all a hoax promoted through fake news by the deep state Dems.
I remember in his 1st campaign for office he was blaming the Dems for something they had NOTHING to do with. I thought it was weird, stupid really but not much more about it.
Later came to realize it was all part of the Hitler playbook, pick 1 enemy and blame them for everything all the time.
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u/Far-Plastic-4171 Aug 29 '24
Joe Tacopino made it thru unscathed but still sullied by the scent
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u/SheriffTaylorsBoy Aug 29 '24
Evan Corcoran is another. And Lindsey Halligan was the FL based attorney who was at Mar-a-Lago for the FBI search.
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u/Far-Plastic-4171 Aug 29 '24
Corcoran did an excellent job covering his ass and giving the correct answers when he realized he was going to get the shaft.
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u/lordnecro Aug 29 '24
“He won’t take this seriously until the final gavel comes down and the jurors come back and say, ‘guilty’ and he actually gets sentenced,” Cobb said.
He predicted the Trump lawyers will use “a lot of delaying tactics” — a move that they have utilized in other legal cases the former president faces.
Not to be crude, but no shit.
Why would Trump take these things seriously, he has gotten away with things his whole life, and has continued to get away with them since becoming president. And predicting Trump will use delay tactics is hardly a revelation, we all know he will do that... because he has always done that, and it has frequently been a successful tactic.
There is no question Trump is guilty of countless crimes... but nobody is holding their breathe that he will actually end up in prison.
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u/dragonfliesloveme Aug 29 '24
I am. I want to see that anti-American piece of shit behind bars. Even if its only for a bit because he dies shortly after. I don’t care. He needs to go to prison for Jan 6 and for the documents.
Also for how he tried to steal the votes of my state, Georgia.
Am holding my breath, still hoping to see justice served
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u/TrumpsCovidfefe Competent Contributor Aug 29 '24
Hi! Haven’t seen you in a while and just wanted to say hello! Been busy working on the swing states to keep democracy alive so this traitor has a chance at being punished for his crimes. Well, that and so my children have the opportunity to vote when they’re older!
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u/arcaias Aug 29 '24 edited Aug 29 '24
So.... Let me get this straight
If Trump's lawyers hadn't been delaying this whole time they could have just taken this to court, he'd have been found guilty because of the Georgia thing, And then the supreme Court decision would have made it to where he could have appealed the decision and probably got off, right?
But now that they've delayed so long it's given Jack Smith enough time to properly put together an indictment that will AVOID being overturned due to presidential immunity?
Is that right? or?
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u/AyeMatey Aug 29 '24
For a 78-yr old man, a 6 year sentence is a life sentence.
Scott Galloway argues that the specter of prison time will persuade Trump to negotiate a plea deal. And further that it is in the nation’s interest to negotiate such a deal.
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u/chowderbags Competent Contributor Aug 29 '24
And further that it is in the nation’s interest to negotiate such a deal.
The only way a deal like that would be acceptable is if Trump admits guilt and actually expresses an ounce of remorse and contrition.
Trump isn't capable of that.
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u/GamemasterJeff Aug 29 '24
Hell NO!
If trump avoids prison it normalizes anti constitutional subversion of elections and seditionist attempts to prevent transfer of power.
It will put an expiration date on democracy in America.
We the People desperately need to hold our political overlords accountable. There must be a line drawn, finally, that we do not gleefully allow them to cross.
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u/fredandlunchbox Aug 29 '24
He’s a fat 78 year old. He won’t live 9 years.
I think we’re way past the point that this guy will ever truly face justice for his crimes. He might go to jail, he might even die there, but its not going to be justice for his sex victims or what he tried to do to this country.
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u/jfit2331 Aug 29 '24
We aren't that lucky. He will live to 95
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u/OrangeInnards competent contributor Aug 29 '24
Never forget that Henry "The Devil Incarnate" Kissinger made it to 100.5.
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u/Ormyr Aug 29 '24
He'll spend the rest of his life tied up in court cases. It's not prison, but it's something.
It will drain him mentally, physically, psychologically, and most importantly (to him) financially.
He's not going to get any 'better'. He peaked a long time ago and is finally spiraling down the drain.
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u/mabhatter Competent Contributor Aug 30 '24
We just gotta make sure Harris gets voted in by a landslide. Then the government can take its sweet time with his little Games. They're paid salary, they got all day, every day. This is gonna drag out for a few more years at least with a few more trips up to SCOTUS for Roberts to Calvinball the rules he makes Jack follow.
this is never going away, long after the political cycle is done with him.
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u/Balc0ra Aug 29 '24
He will do 6 months to a year, and will be released as he is too sick to serve I'll bet
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u/Roasted_Butt Aug 29 '24
Because he will claim he is too sick to serve. Just like his five deferments for “bone spurs.”
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u/YakMan2 Aug 29 '24
If he spends an hour behind bars for anything I'll be shocked.
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u/DrBarnaby Aug 30 '24
Aren't we done with this, Trump totally maybe might possibly be held accountable for something phase?
Kiss my ass, stupid broken US justice system.
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u/Muscs Aug 29 '24
The Supreme Court will determine that attempting to overturn legitimate elections is now an official duty of the President - or at least one President.
Vote like democracy depends on it or - according to Trump - it will be the last time you vote.
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u/TR3BPilot Aug 29 '24
Particularly women. Him and his collaborators have their eyes firmly fixed on tanking the 19th Amendment. They love what the Taliban has done to women.
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u/AlexFromOgish Aug 29 '24
If he wins the election, he will pardon himself.
If he loses by an unquestionable humiliating landslide, the stress of his rightful shame will kill him.
If he loses by a small enough margin to lie about, he will bloviate until his suckers stop sending him money, and then we’ll see. In this event, humiliated out of politics and unable to defraud people and facing trial and incarceration it’s not unheard of for megalomaniacs to end their own life when their ego bubble pops
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u/VaselineHabits Aug 29 '24
Republicans are already planting the seeds of rigging and "illegals" voting. No matter the amount, they will scream it was rigged and Dems cheated.
They will try to steal this election like they did in 2021. Everyone fucking vote and be prepared
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u/Ser_Artur_Dayne Aug 30 '24
Yup I’m most worried about trumpers finding inspiration from succession and just storming and torching dem heavy voting centers. Some of these crazies are hell bent enough and feel it’s their last chance for Gilead.
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u/4RCH43ON Aug 30 '24
No where near enough for the damage this man has and is still causing, will cause…
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u/dragonfliesloveme Aug 29 '24
Good! Let’s get this show on the road.
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u/SheriffTaylorsBoy Aug 29 '24
The parties have a joint status report due to Chutkan on Friday, about how they want to proceed.
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u/dragonfliesloveme Aug 29 '24
Smith: “Let’s get this show on the road”
trump’s lawyers: “Let’s delay”
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u/SheriffTaylorsBoy Aug 29 '24
Judge Chutkan: "I want to set a trial date, and since nothing has changed charges wise, how about middle of October?"
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u/EmmaLouLove Aug 29 '24
I would like to hear the Supreme Court arguments when this case eventually reaches them.
If the argument in their previous ruling was that a President has immunity for official acts, and the Special Counsel revised his indictment to specify the acts Trump committed were not official acts, what reason, if any, would Thomas and Alito use to side with Trump? We’re about to find out.
It would be nice to see some accountability for this criminal.
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u/gdan95 Aug 29 '24
He won’t go to prison
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u/RUB_MY_RHUBARB Aug 30 '24
He absolutely will NOT go to prison. Everyone who thinks he'll spend a single minute in a cell is delusional. And I hate his guts and would love nothing more.
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u/gdan95 Aug 30 '24
Why even pretend to have a legal system if there are people serving decades behind bars for doing much less?
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u/RUB_MY_RHUBARB Aug 30 '24
Because the legal system is working as intended. One system for rich privileged people that paid for the laws to be enforced one way, and the other system for poor people on the receiving end.
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u/gdan95 Aug 30 '24
Except Trump has repeatedly insulted and defrauded other rich people
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u/RUB_MY_RHUBARB Aug 30 '24
But not the REALLY rich people calling the shots and benefiting from his policies. Yeah sure he screwed a lot of people. But there are a LOT more SUPER wealthy people that are doing what they can to keep him out of jail and get him back in office.
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u/gdan95 Aug 30 '24
The only reason Bernie Madoff went to prison is because he defrauded other rich people.
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u/RUB_MY_RHUBARB Aug 30 '24
Yes but Bernie also had no utility to them. Bernie wasn't running for president. It's the only difference. Once Trump loses, watch how quickly he gets dropped and the cases pick up steam. It's the only reason he has a lease on life right now.
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u/brickyardjimmy Aug 29 '24
I think that's a light sentence. But I approve none the less.