As former President Donald
Trump faces a historic criminal trial in Manhattan, the U.S. Secret Service is grappling with the unprecedented scenario of potentially having to protect him in prison.
The trial, which began last week, involves Trump being charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal. It marks the first time a former U.S. president has faced criminal prosecution.
The New York Times reported that, behind the scenes, officials from the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies had held preliminary discussions about the logistics of protecting Trump if he
were to be incarcerated. These talks were sparked by prosecutors' request to consider the possibility of jailing Trump for contempt during the trial, even before a verdict is reached.
The
Times noted that the Secret Service faces a "logistical nightmare of
safely incarcerating" Trump.
"Obviously, it’s uncharted territory," said Martin F. Horn, a former high-ranking official in New York’s state prison system. "Certainly no state prison system has had to deal with this before, and no federal prison has had to either."
Officials have had preliminary discussions about how to protect the former president in the unlikely event that he is jailed for contempt during the trial.
www.nytimes.com
It sounds like a daunting task - but one I hope they have to deal with - in a real prison! What do you think?