# NY AG Letitia James drops the (civil) hammer {On Trump & Family} \[9/21/2022\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [September 21, 2022, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991 "2022-09-21T16:13:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 111
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2202 "2024-02-17T16:02:59Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > What ultimate consequence IS he, in fact, attempting to avoid with all these delays. I don’t think he has any more carefully thought out plan than delaying, getting elected, and abusing the power of office in some way to make everything go away. Even if that _shouldn’t_ work with a state civil judgment where he has substantial assets in the state, he can steal $400 million from somewhere else or sell $400 million of pardons. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2203 "2024-02-17T16:03:48Z")
It will be interesting how this plays out. The path of liens and foreclosures is torturous for an individual collecting a debt, but the State has a LOT more resources not the least being armed Law Enforcement. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2204 "2024-02-17T16:18:01Z")
Well last year he said that he had $400 million in liquid assets so he can start by paying that. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2205 "2024-02-17T16:22:40Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > I think the Trump interpretation is that if he can delay this until after the election, his magical President powers will make it go away. The fact that this has no basis in law, logic or reality does not stop Trump from believing it with all of his existence. This. Trump lives in his own bubble-world where he always, always escapes consequences somehow. Just keep delaying till he takes back his rightful rulership and strikes down all his enemies. Any failures or losses are of course someone else’s fault. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2206 "2024-02-17T17:04:30Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I don’t think he has any more carefully thought out plan than delaying, getting elected, and abusing the power of office in some way to make everything go away. But I want him to go to jail! \<_stamps foot_!\> ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2207 "2024-02-17T17:59:53Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I don’t think he has any more carefully thought out plan than delaying, getting elected, and abusing the power of office in some way to make everything go away. When you’re ready to suspend the Constitution, it opens a lot of possibilities for making things go away. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2208 "2024-02-17T18:09:46Z")
There was a recent thread about Gödel making a cryptic comment about having found a loophole in the Constitution. “I’m going to ignore it” might have been the loophole. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2209 "2024-02-17T21:53:06Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > But I want him to go to jail! \<_stamps foot_!\> nitpick: Prison. “Jail” is temporary holding for persons awaiting/on trial. I do not think that you want him in _temporary_ custody. Also, you do not want him to [Hell](https://www.pressxchange.com/en/heidelberg-linotype-hell-topaz-3240-ii/machine-id/98521/) (a Heidelberg Gmb typesetting device). ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2210 "2024-02-17T22:09:15Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > “Jail” is temporary holding for persons awaiting/on trial. I do not think that you want him in _temporary_ custody. That is not true. Yes, prisons are where people who commit serious crimes will spend years incarcerated, but many people get sentenced to spend time in jail. My brother has spent months in county jail on multiple occasions. As did one of my ex-girlfriends (it was a burglary conviction). Jail is for shorter sentences from less serious crimes **and** as temporary holding areas for people awaiting sentencing. This might help: > **[Correctional Institutions](https://bjs.ojp.gov/topics/corrections/correctional-institutions)** > > Statistical information and publications about correctional institutions in the United States from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. However I do agree that Trump would hopefully be sentenced to prison and not jail. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2211 "2024-02-17T23:26:36Z")
County jails are generally worse than prisons. I’ve known people and have sent people to both. They can’t wait to get to prison where there is at least something to do (like a job or rehab) and better (but still crap) food. Jails in large cities are little better than uncontroled animal holding pens. Unfortunately, I don’t see him being sent to jail while he awaits his prison term. He will get house arrest. I see now that this is off topic since he is not going anywhere in this civil case. Please dont respond. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2212 "2024-02-18T01:16:49Z")
Here’s an article that addresses several of the questions we’ve been pondering. (I don’t know if the headline writer was consciously borrowing the « But what if we don’t? » meme, but it’s a bit more ominous for Trump here.) > **[Trump was ordered to pay $355 million US. What happens if he doesn't? | CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7118701)** > > Donald Trump has been ordered to pay nearly $355 million US in penalties for fraudulently overstating his net worth, a New York judge ruled on Friday. But does the former U.S. president have enough money to pay it off? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2213 "2024-02-18T01:38:37Z")
Article tots up how much Trump currently owes in judgments: > [@](#): > > Between Friday’s ruling and the two judgments in Carroll’s case, Trump would be on the hook for about $542 million US in legal judgments. As part of Friday’s ruling, the judge also ordered both of Trump’s sons to pay $4 million apiece. > > That’s not all Trump owes. He’s currently trying to pay off another [$110,000 for refusing to comply](https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-subpoenas-48c78fba34e862e942d3148fd99ac367) with a subpoena in the civil fraud case and [$15,000 for repeatedly disparaging](https://apnews.com/article/trump-michael-cohen-fraud-lawsuit-7f6e536e97d77ef1cd441e4d5ec41ee4) the judge’s law clerk in violation of a gag order. > > Last month, he was ordered to pay nearly [$400,000 in legal fees to _The New York Times_](https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-york-times-taxes-lawsuit-slapp-f39342501d9a2a5cfd36181f9f336215) after suing the newspaper unsuccessfully. He is currently appealing a [judgment of $938,000](https://apnews.com/article/politics-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-florida-new-york-872898a17b2f55a4d1235f978633d2df) against him and his attorney for filing what a judge described as a “frivolous” lawsuit against Hillary Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2214 "2024-02-18T01:43:05Z")
And the interest meter is running. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2215 "2024-02-18T01:51:34Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > But I want him to go to jail! \<_stamps foot_!\> Yep. Then I can finally know we may have gotten bent, but are not broken. With that said, when I really think about it, Trump never facing consequences is what grates me. Especially because it’s sooooo flagrant and he is so prideful with zero remorse. This is a real consequence for his actions. He definitely lost. Again. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2216 "2024-02-18T02:34:57Z")
At least Eric and Don Jr are starting to get spanked (and not in a Russian hooker pee pee Kompromat way, either) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2217 "2024-02-18T02:40:41Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > And the interest meter is running. Yes, currently at $99,000,000, according to AG NY. And counting. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2218 "2024-02-18T02:43:59Z")
Our Letitia should set up a giant “Trump Judgment Clock” to show the total with interest steadily climbing, somewhere near Trump Tower. Something just like the National Debt Clock on 6th Ave. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2219 "2024-02-18T03:41:21Z")
Thanks! Here’s the punch line from the article _(my bold in all cases except the headline, which was bold in original)_: > ## What happens if Trump fails to pay? > > Legally, the consequences Trump would face are the same ones facing any American refusing to pay a legal judgment. This includes seizing his assets, garnishing his wages and **even imprisonment, though the latter is extremely unlikely, [according to Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/legal/how-will-trump-pay-his-355-million-civil-fraud-judgment-2024-02-16/).** > … ☹ > … > In the event that Trump refused to hand over payments, the courts would have additional discretion to **go after** Trump and his businesses. > … > "The court might say we’re going to freeze your bank account. Or even worse, they could say, **‘We’re seizing Trump Tower and we’re putting it up for sale.’"** Liking the sound of that. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2220 "2024-02-18T03:56:12Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > according to AG NY Oh, come on, it is to good, you _have to_ use all the letters in “Attorney General Of New York”. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/2221 "2024-02-18T04:45:22Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Our Letitia should set up a giant “Trump Judgment Clock” to show the total with interest steadily climbing, somewhere near Trump Tower. Something just like the National Debt Clock on 6th Ave. Ooh, I have a better one. We need a countdown to when Taylor Swift’s net worth is proven to exceed Donald Trump’s. It may have done so already, but it definitely needs to be stuck in Donald’s face when we have some reliable accounting and we’re sure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991.md?page=110) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991.md?page=112)