There are Felons, and then There are Special Felons

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Donald Trump is a felon.  A jury of his peers unanimously convicted him of thirty-four individual felony counts, and a month from tomorrow a judge will sentence him on those those convictions.  Trump, a man who has seldom been held to account for any of his actions during his long and privileged life, is very unhappy about those guilty verdicts, and he has loudly proclaimed his innocence and victimhood while lashing out at many of the individuals associated with the trial.

One of the necessary boxes that must be checked before next month's sentencing of the convicted felon, Donald Trump, is that he must report to a probation officer for an interview which should produce information that will help the judge to determine the most appropriate sentence.  Trump has his initial session with a probation officer today.

Of course, Donald Trump has felt all along that he should be treated differently than other people who get caught up in America's criminal justice system.  Because he had once served a term as the President of the United States, Trump felt that he had some sort of immunity from prosecution, but while that spurious claim is still being bandied about in the federal court system, it did not keep him from being prosecuted on a state level in New York.  Trump also felt that since he was again a declared candidate for President, the court's schedule should bend around his own.  He had been stalling four cases for years, but the one in New York finally made it to trial.  

Trump is special, but just not special enough to impose his imperial will on the Empire State - at least not until today.

I heard a probation and parole officer on a newscast this week lament that she has clients who have been convicted of just one felony, and that they cannot even get jobs at gas stations, but along comes Donald Trump with thirty-four felony convictions and he can run for President.

It's almost like some people believe that the circumstances of their birth should place them above the law, or, at the very least, above the consequences of breaking the law.

Donald Trump, who doesn't work, will not have to take off work to visit with the probation officer today.  In fact, Judge Merchan's court, the one Trump likes to call "corrupt" and whine about so much, has granted him special permission to  have a "virtual" visit with the probation officer.  Trump and the low-level government employee will not even be sucking in any of the same air - their chat will be through cyberspace!

And because Donald Trump is special, Judge Merchan has also said that his attorney can be present while he has his talk with the probation officer, a privilege rarely accorded to other, less special felons.

America's criminal population, like America's general population, appears to be clearly defined into social strata, and that is a shame because a person with aspirations to lead this nation should have as much firsthand knowledge of those whom he or she wishes to serve as is humanly possible regardless of which rung on the social ladder they occupy.   Of course, Donald Trump has always focused on serving himself and has little interest in the needs of others.

Most of the others are suckers and losers anyway, the sort of people who stand trial on the court's schedule and not their own, show up in person to deal with civil servants like probation officers, and answer for their own their damned crimes.

And they pay their taxes.

Trummp's pal, Leona Helmsley, called them the "little" people.

Just sayin . . .