On Monday, newly convicted Donald Trump is scheduled to sit for a pre-sentencing interview with a New York City probation officer, and attorney Todd Blanche will be present — with permission from Judge Juan Merchan.
Possibly to avoid the "money shot" of him trudging through the city for such an appointment, Trump will participate in the interview via Zoom from his home at Mar-a-Lago, which legal experts are saying is a bit outside the lines. But so is a former president on probation.
In a quote obtained from NBC News, Martin Horn, former commissioner of the New York City Department of Corrections and Probation, says, “It is highly unusual for a pre-sentence investigation interview to be done over Zoom. But you can argue that Trump’s appearance at the probation office on the 10th floor of the Criminal Court Building in Manhattan where his trial took place, with Secret Service and press following him, would be very disruptive to the probation office and unfair to other defendants who might not want to be identified. So in the end, this might be better for the probation officer.”
Horn notes that, typically, an interview of this nature is conducted in person to assess a criminal's living situation and, often, interview anyone else who lives in their home. The interview also takes into account a criminal's mental health, financial resources, and any physical or addiction issues.
Following the interview on Monday, the probation officer will write up a report and send it over to Merchan.
