The U.S. Secret Service had meetings and made plans in case former President Donald Trump was found guilty in his criminal hush money trial and Judge Juan Merchan decided to send him to a short-term prison, according to officials who know about the situation.
The decision on the matter was not made by Merchan on Tuesday after a heated hearing. Prosecutors currently want to impose a fine.
“We are not currently looking for a prison sentence,” said assistant district attorney Chris Conroy. “However, it seems like the defendant is trying to provoke that outcome.”
Officials said they don’t think Merchan would actually put Trump in a holding cell in the courthouse, but they are preparing for possible situations.
So far, there haven’t been any talks about what should happen if Trump is found guilty and given a prison sentence.
The previous president is being tried for serious crimes. He is accused of hiding a payment made to an adult film actress by his lawyer, Michael Cohen, before the 2016 presidential election. The Secret Service chose not to provide any details about their plans regarding this matter.
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“According to federal law, the United States Secret Service is required to provide protection for current government leaders, former Presidents and First Ladies, visiting heads of state, and other individuals chosen by the President of the United States,” stated the agency. “We study different locations all over the world and create detailed protective plans that use the latest technology, intelligence, and security tactics to keep our clients safe.” We cannot provide any further information or comments about specific protective operations.
Prosecutors say that Trump broke the limited gag order multiple times this month. The order stops him from talking about witnesses, jurors, and lawyers involved in the case, except for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Trump’s lawyers argued that prosecutors have not shown enough evidence to prove that Trump’s social media posts criticizing Cohen and Daniels were intentional violations of the gag order. They claimed that Trump was simply defending himself against attacks by the potential witnesses.
Defense lawyers also claimed that the gag order is unclear and permits Trump to make “political” statements.
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