Experts: Trump Faces Possible Community Service Sentence – Which Could Include Trash Pickup, Graffiti Cleanup

Donald Trump might be required to perform community service tasks such as picking up street trash, cleaning graffiti, or other menial jobs as part of his sentencing for his felony conviction, according to experts.

Trump, 77, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11 by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, after becoming the first US president in history to be convicted of a crime on Thursday.

The presumptive GOP presidential nominee was found guilty by a jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

In July, Trump could receive community service at his sentencing, potentially including menial labor such as picking up trash.

The former real estate mogul faces a maximum of four years in prison for each of the 34 counts. Should he be sentenced to less than a year, he would go to jail rather than prison.

However, because Trump was convicted of non-violent offenses and has no prior convictions, legal experts believe he is unlikely to receive a prison sentence. Probation or a conditional discharge is more probable.

“Trump can get a prison sentence, probation, or even a jail sentence if he receives a year or less,” criminal defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman told The Post. “He could also receive community service as part of a probationary sentence, including picking up trash on the side of the road.”

On Thursday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to specify what punishment his office would pursue.

Trump’s legal team must submit their sentencing recommendation to Merchan by June 13, aiming for a no-jail term. Bragg’s office will submit its recommendation by June 27.

Before then, Trump will need to meet with the probation department to discuss his background and his views on the case, allowing the agency to prepare a report for the judge to consider during sentencing.

“I don’t expect a prison [or] jail sentence but anything is possible from this judge and this district attorney,” Lichtman stated.

What could probation or conditional discharge look like for Trump? The judge has the discretion to set conditions for probation or conditional release.

Trump could be sentenced to up to five years of probation, requiring regular check-ins with a probation officer to ensure compliance with the judge’s conditions.

These conditions could include not committing further crimes, paying fines by a set date, or notifying a probation office of his travel plans, explained New York Law School Professor Anna Cominsky.

Alternatively, Trump could face a three-year conditional discharge, similar to probation, where he must follow the judge’s rules but without monitoring by an officer, Cominsky noted.

“Conditional discharge has less supervision than probation,” she said.

Logistically, it could be challenging to have Trump monitored by a probation officer, as a former president still needs to travel, host events, and fulfill other public figure duties.

“A former president has a lot of responsibilities,” said criminal defense lawyer Jeremy Saland, a former Manhattan DA’s office prosecutor. “Probation would be too administratively difficult for someone who is the former president of the US.”

Merchan might require Trump to perform community service, which he could complete through a court-approved program or by volunteering at a non-profit organization of his choice.

“They can have you cleaning the street, removing graffiti or something getting your hands as dirty as that,” Saland said of the community service programs.

Cominsky added that other examples could include working at a food bank or in a community garden.

{Dov T. Heller – Matzav.com}