Donald Trump will participate in a virtual interview with a probation officer from his Florida home on Monday, as part of the sentencing process for his felony conviction in the New York hush-money case.
Trump, the first former US president to be criminally convicted, will appear from Mar-a-Lago with his lawyer Todd Blanche, according to a source familiar with the matter, CBS News reports in collaboration with the BBC.
A New York City probation officer will use this interview to prepare a pre-sentencing report for Justice Juan Merchan, who will determine Trump’s punishment.
Convicted last month on 34 counts of falsifying business records, Trump is expected to be sentenced on July 11.
Former New York City Department of Correction and Probation Commissioner Martin Horn told NBC News that it is unusual for a probation interview to be conducted virtually.
“It is highly unusual for a pre-sentence investigation interview to be done over Zoom,” Horn said. He noted, however, that a visit by Trump to the Manhattan courthouse would likely disrupt court business due to Secret Service presence and media attention, potentially affecting other defendants’ anonymity.
“This might be better for the probation officer,” he added.
Typically, convicts in the New York Court system do not have their lawyers present during probation interviews, according to the Associated Press. However, Judge Merchan has permitted Blanche to accompany Trump on Monday.
Pre-sentencing reports gather details about a convict’s personal life, criminal history, financial situation, health, and living conditions, which help inform the judge’s sentencing decision. The interview allows convicts to argue for leniency.
Jurors found Trump guilty of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to former porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Legal experts believe Trump is unlikely to face jail time due to his lack of criminal history and age.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has repeatedly claimed without evidence that the New York prosecution is politically motivated to prevent his re-election bid. He plans to appeal the conviction.