A federal grand jury has charged former President Donald Trump with seven criminal counts. Here is a closer look at those charges: 1) Unauthorized Retention of National Security Documents – it is a crime to retain national security documents without authorization, and to fail to deliver them to an authorized government official. The penalty is up to 10 years in prison. 2) Conspiracy – it is a crime to agree with another person to break the law. The penalty can be up to 5 years in prison. 3) Obstruction – it is a crime to conceal records to obstruct an official effort. The penalty is up to 20 years in prison. 4) False Statement – it is a crime to make a false statement, about a material fact in an investigation, to a law enforcement officer. The penalty is up to 5 years in prison. 5) Mishandling Official Documents – it is a crime to destroy or conceal official documents that relate to national security. The penalty is up to 3 years in prison. 6) Contempt of Court – it is a crime to willfully disobey a court order, like a grand jury subpoena. The penalty is up to 6 months in prison. Mr. Trump is set for an arraignment, where he will enter a plea of “Not Guilty” to the charges, and bail may be set. Following the arraignment a trial date will be set in the future.
The Pressure to Plead Guilty in the College Admissions Case
For any defendant facing federal charges, the pressure to plead guilty is very strong. There are two main reasons for this: 1) the extreme financial burden of going to trial with a private lawyer; and 2) the long sentence that waits those who lose at trial. So when...
