Trump lawyer's 'optimistic' prediction about sentencing burned down by ex-prosecutor
Any hope Donald Trump might have had after his legal team suggested he may not be sentenced after being convicted on 34 felony counts was shot down by a former U.S. attorney during an appearance on MSNBC on Sunday afternoon.
Speaking with fill-in host Yamiche Alcindor, former prosecutor Joyce Vance was asked about the appeals process the convicted ex-president's legal team will have to maneuver to keep their client out of jail.
With Vance saying it was highly unlikely the appeal could leapfrog the lower courts to the Supreme Court, Alcincdor asked, "Trump's lawyer, we just played him, he doesn't think he is ever going to be sentenced."
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With a small smile Vance replied, " Well, defense lawyers have a lot of optimistic things to say for their client after a conviction in virtually every case that I have ever tried. But the reality is once you have been convicted by a jury, sentencing follows."
"All defendants have a right to appeal, and that is a very important part of our system where the appellate court tests both the judge's decisions about admitting evidence and also legal issues like whether the jury instructions were sound," she continued before pointing out, "Trump's lawyers certainly have a right to and should pursue those arguments on appeal."
"Judge [Juan] Merchan was very careful with his rulings, they were not one-sided," he added. "He often studied them carefully before making them. We'll see what issues they argue when they finally submit their appellate brief which won't be before late summer or early fall. But at least at first glance after observing the trial and reading the transcript carefully it looks like the prosecution is in good shape."
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