So, go ahead---say I'm being childish and vindictive.

[Atticus]

I believe the wrong message is bring sent by the "special" treatment of Trump in this indictment and arraignment. I simply believe he should be treated EXACTLY like any other private citizen would be.

He should be fingerprinted, give DNA sample material, have a mugshot taken and, if handcuffs are the norm for this type of offense, he should have to wear them into court for his arraignment.

He should not have been asked, in essence, "When would it be convenient for you to be arraigned?" He should have been TOLD "Be here at (time) on (date) or we will come and get you."

And, in view of his CONTINUING attack on the judge and his wife, the DA and his wife and others, a gag order should be issued AND ENFORCED!

We should at least TRY to be true to "Equality under the law". If this scumbag is in some type of "privileged" category, who else fits into it?

Are we fools to hope for justice?

[BlackSkimmer]

1. I agree completely..

No comment on your final question.

[MLAA]

2. The only thing I see a silver lining to regarding this unacceptable special treatment is there

Will be no mugshot to raise money off of. Of course they can create their own.

[BlackSkimmer]

35. I agree with that detail, but he's going to use this for days.

I'm not going to knock Bragg, because I know nothing about him...but this surely could have been handled better.

What a damn circus.

[inthewind21]

49. Sure there will

Just not an ACTUAL mug shot. It's already been printed on T Shirts and selling.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattnovak/2023/04/04/donald-trump-sells-t-shirts-with-fake-mugshot-photos-on-campaign-website/?sh=64c372ed6f42

[housecat]

55. Having nothing to sell never stopped him from selling

[MLAA]

56. True.

[dchill]

3. All the MSM are clamoring for ratings. Even FoxNews is...

... covering it like paint. So at least the Redhats are seeing it.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. A negotiated Elba would have been my preference

Ex leaders of a country do receive special treatment. Look at Papa Doc, Idi Amin, Ferdinand. But this is the route we've taken, so best to keep a boot on his throat and choke the political life out of him and his party. This chaos and denial and corruption masquerading as friendly, aggrieved upstanding folk cannot be allowed to rule this country again. Ever.

[MOMFUDSKI]

5. Well said.

Thanks for that.

[cannabis_flower]

27. Not all

Ceaușescu, Saddam Husain, Tsar Nicolas.

[Scottie Mom]

58. Yep, Ceaușescu...

...as a person with a Romanian background with relatives (who were born in the USA) caught behind the Iron Curtain for most of their lives because their Romanian parents took them home as children...I freaking CHEERED when Ceaușescu was tarred and quartered.

Maybe I am wrong...but I have a hard time not feeling righteous when true evil get what it deserves. Now, and hopefully,tifg will get what he deserves. If so, I will cheer.

[usonian]

6. One way you and I can dole out justice.

And encourage every young person to do so.
Old folks too!!
Lives depend on it.

[TigressDem]

12. +1000

[Beastly Boy]

7. Are you so hung up on appearances that you can't see justice being done?

I don't care for the song and dance and the media circus surrounding the 34 felony indictments.

I care for the 34 felony indictments.

[Atticus]

9. No, I'm "hung up" on equality. We do not yet know if justice is "being done". nt

[Beastly Boy]

14. We know that justice is being done.

It's a process, and indictments are part of the process. Whether or not your expectations will eventually be met is a whole different issue.

And seriously, regardless of whether or not he is being fingerprinted or handcuffed, do these things satisfy your quest for equality? These empty gestures do not signify equality any more than a school uniform signifies equality.

On edit: A single additional indictment will do more to equality than all those rituals put together.

[Atticus]

21. Justice is not a "process". It is a result. We know the process has begun. We do not know if

justice will result.

If fingerprinting, taking a mugshot, etc. are "empty gestures", why do we impose them on everyone else?

Your acquiescence in Trump getting treated "nicer" than anyone else would be may be popular in some circles but, here?

Not so much.

[OldBaldy1701E]

34. Hear Hear!

[Beastly Boy]

44. Justice is not a result. Not by a long shot.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/justice

The result is the end product of justice, just one final step in the process. Going back to a school analogy, saying that justice is a result is like saying that education is a result. No, a school diploma is the result of the process we call education. Isn't this self-evident?

I said nothing remotely resembling a suggestion that Trump be treated "nicer". What I said was that processes like booking, cuffing and fingerprinting are negligible in affecting justice or equality.

Do you really think that booking and cuffing Trump would make him more equal to the kid who was booked and cuffed for jumping a turnstile? Or that, by booking and cuffing the said kid, the system was more just to him than it is to Trump?

That doesn't make sense to me.

[TigressDem]

69. Mug shot and fingerprints? Why for everyone else?

Criminals tend to try to hide away or run away. SO law officers wanted to be sure they could find them if needed.

WHERE can tRUMP hide? He can run, but everyone knows what he looks like.

We can lift fingerprints off half of the stolen documents or lift some from Mar-A-Lago.



BUT YOU ARE right, it's a process.


Justice is not guaranteed.


Treating him as a former president protects future presidents from being mistreated.

[EndlessWire]

46. No, we don't.

We don't see any equality here. You know damned well that you or I would be trussed up like plucked chickens, with cuffs and a mug shot. His DNA should be in the system for the Carroll trial.

Instead, he gets treated like he's royalty. This feeds the flames of his cult. He needs to disappear down the black hole of history. Now, he's gonna go spew forth his nonsense while he gets cheered and feted.

If this guy gets reelected, we are in big trouble. So, he doesn't need special handling for his number. HE DID NOT TREAT THE PRESIDENCY WITH RESPECT, HE DIDN'T TREAT US WITH RESPECT, and he needs to be treated like what he is: A CRIMINAL.

[inthewind21]

50. But

He was in fact President. Whether you or I or anyone like it. How do you know his DNA is not in the system? Did Cable news not tell you? And FWIW, Trump himself actually WANTED those things. He was denied. But if you agree with Trump and want to give him all he needs to whip up more of a rucks, that's you're choice.

[EndlessWire]

61. He was never my President. Never.

(Hilary was.) He was a grifting mob boss with a self gratifying cult as his army. No use pretending that he deserves any respect. I especially don't respect his handling of the pandemic, and his stealing shipments of ppe from the true heroes handling that problem.

We don't have a King in this country. He wanted(s) to be a dictator, and next time around he will probably be brutal. How do I know his DNA wasn't taken? I know he refused in the Carroll trial. I know it was stated that they would not be taking his DNA.

The one bright spot in this whole thing is the fact that he couldn't muster up a riot on his behalf. I guess nobody wants to die for him anymore.

He's holding a press conference later. Even though he was treated with a low profile arraignment, he is still going to continue his campaign. Too bad he has to threaten people with ball bats, death and destruction to do it. He's AWFUL.

[Beastly Boy]

72. Yes we do.

Sorry, but you are not talking about justice here. Nor are you paying attention to what I have said.

Once again, regardless of of what you and I know damn well (we don't know jack shit, we only speculate), how would publicly handcuffing and fingerprinting Trump affect justice or equality in his case? Show me. Will it make his convictions more likely? Will it add charges to his 34 counts? Will it stop anyone who wishes to do so from kissing his ass? Will it prevent him from running for President again? Don't just talk, show me any correlation between handcuffs and justice or equality.

We can talk, duly outraged, about treating Trump like royalty, or feeding his cult, or the need for him to disappear (how do you propose to accomplish this?), or his prospects for reelection, or a multitude of other grievances we have with Trump, until our faces turn blue. All idle speculation.

I want to see how handcuffs and fingerprints affect any of it. Not in abstract terms, but in real terms, showing how cause produces effect. Not what we hope or fear will happen but what will cause something to happen regardless of our sentiments.

Show me the facts without the outrage.

[Meowmee]

8. I'll go further

Charge and jail him for inciting violence again and threatening the da and judge and their wives.
It’s all reminiscent of instead of arresting him for having stolen classified nuclear and other documents they kept asking him for months to return them. .

[TigressDem]

11. So many people who are "in the know" keep talking about how this is ONLY the FIRST.

AND all his behavior now is only racking up the evidence to charge him BOTH for INCITING violence AS AN ONGOING MO and under RICO laws both in Georgia and NOW New York

https://www.salon.com/2022/09/27/prosecuting-boss-trump-build-a-rico-case-against-his-entire-criminal-empire/

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-georgia-investigation-fani-willis-rico-charges-2023-3



AND his business side is already being charged under RICO

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trump-enterprise-charged-with-rico-for-wide-scale-rent-fraud-301502257.html





I think the battle strategy is to come at him from so many directions he has NO WHERE to run.



My internal psychic says that at some point tRUMP may try to OFF himself because the end result of all of this will break his mind.

[Meowmee]

13. Thanks will read this

[TigressDem]

17. The "in process" RICO against tRUMP CO. was news to me.

It's so uplifting how much I am forced to grow and learn more here on DU.

I hadn't looked so much at the RICO aspect, but with the whole world watching and his behavior in plain view..... he is putting together the RICO cases against himself FOR the prosecutors.

DEMS should start sending him Thank You notes and not explain WHY.



THANK YOU (For making these RICO cases so EASY to prove by being your obnoxious self up to the last moment.)

[Meowmee]

18. Rico

Seems to how they get many. Still I have no hope of any real consequences but lets see where it goes.

Yep if it gets him it would be great 😀

[TigressDem]

28. He just needs to be locked up.

He is a danger to himself and others.

It still might not work, then we go to war with people armed to the teeth. It won't be pretty.

[Meowmee]

32. Yeah

It's a mess 🥺

[housecat]

67. As long as he is alive, locked up won't stop him.

[TigressDem]

70. People will get bored and move on to someone else.

He's going to lose his money and influence.

The co-conspirators will get dealt with too and no one will be there to hold his hanky.

If he does wind up in any sort of confinement and off social media, he will probably try to self delete.

[housecat]

80. or someone else will delete him and make it look like self.

[TigressDem]

83. Always a possibility nt

[Meowmee]

77. I personally would prefer if he

expired asap from natural causes. but it is good someone finally indicted/charged him at least.

[housecat]

81. "natural causes" for him could be anything

[slightlv]

68. I so agree about charging him

for threatening officials and/or witnesses. This stochastic terrorism he practices has to come to an end. And, since he didn't post the pic of Bragg's daughter, himself, then we need to pull in Don, Jr. on the charges. Officials need to stop handling the whole family with kid gloves. This type of thing would not be tolerated by "ordinary, run of the mill people" so why should they be able to get away with it?

And where does it stop? If they're not stopped at the first picture, the first charge of doxing, where will it stop? When the girl is dead? Somehow, civility -must- be re-introduced into the U.S., one way or another. Everyone, IMO, would agree this is a step too far. As a society, at some point we must insist these types of actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Period. I see it as perhaps a first step towards tearing down the cult.

[Meowmee]

74. Yeah

They have been doing this and more for 7 years. Time to stop it.

[Meowmee]

76. yes

ugh, it is going to be a painful ordeal. I would rather he just go away for good so I never have to see or hear from the murderer again.

[Meowmee]

79. I could never forget

what was done to my father and it wasn't all dumpster etc. Those are his worse crimes but he will never even be charged with them.

[TigressDem]

10. Nah, but it's not "him" perse that is getting special treatment. It's the status of FPOTUS. Former.

Basically, it's been in law for some time to protect the President and any former president AND IF we change it.....

Consider HOW the MAGAS will find a way to abuse it and use it to torture Biden.


HOWEVER, Mr Orange can STILL be put under a gag order and given House Arrest at tRUMP tower with an ankle bracelet and all of his media shut down IF (we know it's WHEN) he violates that order.


AND someone has discussed there is basically a way to put him in prison, but by himself and with Secret Service, kind of use one of the "safe houses" they usually use for witness protection.

For him to go into living a life in an 8x10 room for the rest of his life, eating whatever food he's given or go hungry, being banned from social networks for at least 10 years would be enough justice for me.


I WANT HIM LOCKED UP. They can be nice about it as long as we get the same end result.

[maxsolomon]

15. He's going to walk away from this with a fine, at worst.

There has always been different treatment for the wealthy and powerful.

If anything, you're simply idealistic and naive.

[Meowmee]

19. That's what I expect

[Atticus]

23. "Idealistic"? Guilty, and proud of it. nt

[TigressDem]

25. NOPE.

NY is going to take his right to do business in their state away.

His company is being brought up on RICO charges
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trump-enterprise-charged-with-rico-for-wide-scale-rent-fraud-301502257.html


Ever heard of giving someone enough rope to hang themself?


Jack Smith has taken down creeps like tRUMP before.


https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3930885-doj-has-more-evidence-of-possible-trump-obstruction-in-classified-documents-case-washington-post/




BESIDES EVERYONE WHO IS IN THIS LEGAL BATTLE AGAINST tRUMP KNOWS that DEMOCRACY is at STAKE.



Have you BEEN to war or been jumped by 20 people at once?

My Dad was a Vet and my war went on every time I left my house to go to school or anywhere.
I made it through that with a lot of instruction from my Dad on how to survive.



My EX husband tried to kill me.

I had to co-parent with that asshat.

I made it through that, and asshat eventually offed himself, alone by choice and mourned by few.



AND I'm here.

Still fighting and believing that AMERICA is NOT GOING DOWN without a fight.


That isn't naive.


Women have to fight differently to survive. So I can see some subtle clues others might miss and I've been sucking up as much information on how screwed tRUMP is.


THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY.


How did cavemen bring down woolly mammoths?


They attacked from all sides and created new weapons to use in order to survive.

https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/krakow-researchers-finally-answer-the-question-of-how-ice-age-cavemen-killed-mammoths-4257





EVERY RICO CASE WON makes all other cases winnable because once the MO is documented and a conviction obtained, the pattern is a legal fact on the books and proof that tRUMP does this same dance wherever he goes.


Just like EVERY ELECTION FRAUD case he LOST pushed him OUT of 2020.

[maxsolomon]

30. Why yes, I have been in a war and jumped by 20 people at once.

IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE, * is not charged with RICO violations. Unless I'm mistaken, that's another case. IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE, it is my opinion that he will get a fine.

[TigressDem]

71. Thank you for your service.

Neither you or I are naive, then.

Each of the 34 charges if they are combined with the felony of violating NY State Election Law carries a potential 4 year sentence.
The indictment has been released, BTW.
https://thehill.com/homenews/3933605-read-trump-indictment-and-statement-of-facts/


The worse he behaves between now and Dec 4, the more that goes against him at this trial and the others.
His stupid is being documented for legal purposes now.


AND.... the DOJ might actually get him to trial first.

[Scottie Mom]

62. I agree with you. EOM

[EndlessWire]

52. I think that he's going to walk away

as a convicted FELON.

[grantcart]

64. Charged for falsification of business records

I believe that
In every case of this kind the punishment consists of probation and a fine.

Can you cite any similar case that resulted in incarceration?

If not what is your basis for "different treatment"?

[maxsolomon]

65. did you read the OP?

different in how he's being treated in court.

[grantcart]

66. Yes it was different, he could have done it by zoom.

None of that applies to your comment that punishment on these counts typically entails more than a fine, which would be incarceration.

That is clearly not the case.

If you want to edit your comment you can but as it stands is not consistent with the known facts of how NY courts adjudicate this type of charges.

[Codifer]

16. I absolutely agree!

No one is above the law... everyone should have equal treatment.

[Fiendish Thingy]

20. He is being treated as any other private citizen

Any other private citizen charged with a non violent white collar crime, who isn’t a flight risk, would be treated this way. (Excluding all the security required for a former president of course)

Vengeance and Justice are not synonyms.

[NullTuples]

39. He has his own plane(s) capable of trans-Atlantic flights & has proven untrustworthy?

How is that not a flight risk? I'm sure very little if anything is even in his name here in the USA, for all sorts of liability avoidance.

[inthewind21]

57. OK

What has he done thus far to make us all "know" he's a flight risk? Because he owns his own plane? Most wealthy criminals do, doesn't make them a flight risk. Did he hunker down in Fl and take Desantis up on his offer? No, he went to NY for the arraignment. He could have left the country as soon as he learned he was being investigated. But he didn't. I hate DJT as much as anyone, but I'm not irrational or so blind with hatred to start demanding shit that can and WILL backfire spectacularly in the future. Careful what you wish for.

[NullTuples]

60. My guess? He's a true narcissist & still "knows" (in his head) that he'll 100% be absolved

The risk is whenever that point occurs when he realizes he will actually be held accountable & deemed fallible.

[stopdiggin]

73. so, now he SHOULD be treated differently .. ?

on the basis of his wealth. Isn't that kind of the opposite .. ?

[edisdead]

22. exactly right!

[AverageJoe]

24. 100%

I could not possibly agree more. ANY special treatment for trump is an affront undercutting the rule of law.

[republianmushroom]

26. I agree with a lot of what or all that you have posted here.

[czarjak]

29. Not fools to hope. Expect? Maybe.

[dflprincess]

33. If this is being childish and vindictive

I'm proud to join you in those feelings.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

36. I agree 100%!

[Hamlette]

37. he should be treated in deference to the needs of the court, exactly how he is being treated.

To take a mug shot he would need to be moved to the area where they are taken. Since the secret service would need to go with him, it would be very difficult. As a former public defender I've seen a few bookings and been in a few jails. I can't see how it could happen in those enclosed, often small areas.

That's why no mug shot. Not to accommodate him, but to accommodate the jail and its personnel.

Same would be true of cuffs and DNA and prints etc.

I don't want to cause more work, danger, inconvenience for our public servants. YMMV.

[hadEnuf]

38. As right wing scum are always fond of saying;

"He needs a hickory shampoo with his arrest".

[malthaussen]

40. You're being childish and vindictive. Also right. n/t

[Bluethroughu]

41. No gag, throw him in a jail cell until the trial. He's threatening the prosecutor and judge, and

anybody else would be arrested for that.

[AwakeAtLast]

42. I agree except...

Trump wants the Perp walk, handcuffs, etc., and wants media to broadcast it - so he can make more money off it.

[barbtries]

43. No.

not fools to hope for it, not even fools to insist upon it. We've been denied justice for too, too long.

[iluvtennis]

45. +++ agree. Call me childish as well. n/t

[NoMoreRepugs]

47. Wait - Hunter's laptop ISN'T the biggest story in History anymore??

[Johnny2X2X]

48. We're all victims of Trump

The entire country really. He's turned family against family, cost most people friends. He's threatened our Democracy and our very way of life. He directly killed hundreds of thousands of people with his Covid lies.

This is a small first step towards justice for Trump, and justice for his victims. It's OK to feel great today.

[inthewind21]

59. All? You sure about that

Trump is not the disease. He's the symptom. A large portion of the voting public shares all that blame. Were it not for them, there'd be no such thing as a Trump presidency. There's that inconvenient fact.

[Kennah]

51. Sherman McCoy was treated like any other perp

[Scottie Mom]

53. 1,000% agreement.

For the exact same reasons I had when Ford pardoned Nixon -- I saw the outcome of that BULLSHIT: It gave us Ronnie Raygun, Fascist Repuke, et al., that followed Nixon.

You let someone know that being in a certain position gets them certain "perks" no matter what, and some of these assholes push that beyond the ultimate limit.

TRUMP HAS NO MORE RIGHTS AS A CRIMINAL DEFENDANT THAN YOU, ME, OR ANYONE ELSE.

Yes, there are what the Feds term (this may be an old term) a "Cadillac" arraignment -- the Caddie stretch pulls up and the white collar defendant gets out and makes the plea while the limo waits for him/her. But...mug shots, fingerprints, bail issues, etc. Just like everyone else also: Told to be there and when to be there.

What got to me? The commentary about when "Trump will be home later in the evening..." What? The assumption that ipso facto he will be released????? Period. While, much more likely than not that he will be back home, the fact that is was ASSUMED is what got to me.

At least he finally got indicted. Now...hope they nail him on every count.

[Initech]

54. Pop the champagne!!!

[mchill]

63. Thru should burn his DNA

Not take it.

[hamsterjill]

82. Well said and I completely agree.

The law works because no one should be above the law.

[purr-rat beauty]

84. He is the most pampered piece of shit

What do we owe him?

the excrement should be flushed!