"If the jury deliberating in Donald Trump's criminal trial makes the historic decision to convict him, the judge overseeing the case will face a monumental choice: whether to sentence the 2024 Republican presidential candidate to time behind bars."
Each page yesterday took him just a little more than a minute, so this will take >30 mins.
Between that & the testimony readbacks, also expected to take >30 mins, there will likely be >1 hour this morning w/the jury in the courtroom, not actively deliberating.
Holy hell, #TuckerCarlson just said that #Trump would still win the election “if he’s not killed first,” & said that “anyone who defends this verdict is a danger to you & your family.”
#FoxNews pundits denounced the #verdict. “It’s inconceivable in New York that anyone else other than Donald Trump would be indicted in this way,” said Andy McCarthy, a legal analyst. Jeanine Pirro called the case “riddled with errors” & declared, “We have gone over a cliff in America.”
Tues 29 May 2024 🧵
Good morning! It’s the last day of the #TrumpTrial before jury #deliberations.
Today Justice #Merchan will give #JuryInstructions. Then they will discuss the case among themselves for the first time; they have not been allowed to even discuss it w/each other as yet.
Closing arguments took place yesterday, & the lawyers will have no further opportunity to address the jurors before they determine whether #Trump is #guilty or not guilty of 34 felonies.
He cannot leave the courtHOUSE while the #jury is deliberating, Justice #Merchan informs him.
Outside the courtroom Trump spews a bunch of inciting lies attacking the justice system, democracy, the country, the judge… his basic “I’m a victim” BS.
"I don't even know what the charges are in this rigged case — I am entitled to specificity just like anyone else. There is no crime!"
Besides the fact that the #charges were all in the #indictment the grand jury approved over a year ago on 30 March 2023 & was delivered to him & his attys, but besides that, Judge #Merchan just read the damn charges in great detail while Trump was sitting there.
The prosecution asks that the defense be precluded from asking #StormyDaniels whether she was arrested. Justice #Merchan agrees w/the prosecutors, saying that “anybody can be arrested” & that it “doesn’t prove anything.”
The people call Stormy Daniels back to the stand
#Trump atty #Necheles begins questioning by saying that in 2011, Daniels denied having had sex w/Trump.
#StormyDaniels is pushing back on #Necheles, asking for evidence when the lawyer claims that Daniels had called her lawyer weak-willed.
Daniels: “Show me where I said that,” - forcing the defense to produce exhibits to back up allegations.
Necheles pulls up the transcript & audio & Daniels’s voice is not on the tape; it is #MichaelCohen & #KeithDavidson, her lawyer at the time - so Daniels is correct, not the #Trump atty.
#Necheles now brings up something inevitable: #StormyDaniels's work as a medium. "You've made a show & a podcast claiming you can speak w/ dead people, right?"
So now Necheles is trying to make Daniels look crazy by bringing up her beliefs in the paranormal & communicating w/dead people.
Keeping score, Necheles has tried to discredit Daniels by suggesting she is
Prosecutors in Trump’s #criminal trial say he has violated a #GagOrder barring him from attacking #witnesses, #jurors & others close to the case. Testimony is set to resume later Tuesday morning.
The judge loses patience w/ #Blanche, "I'm asking the questions, OK," he says. "Im going to decide whether your client is in #contempt or not, so please don't turn it around." Blanche says in a higher-pitched voice that the prosecutors got as much time as they want.
Justice #Merchan makes a distinction, saying the prosecutors were answering his questions.
During the scold, #Trump turned to another one of his lawyers, Emil Bove, & whispered a comment.
#Pecker suggested that there was a "mutual benefit" to running the stories — it would help #Trump's campaign, & "it would also help me."
Pecker basically testified the symbiotic / parasitic relationship between the campaign & The #NationalEnquirer.
Asked about Trump's reaction to the stories, Pecker said, "he was pleased." He said that #MichaelCohen was also pleased about "the way I was going to handle these issues."
Even as Judge #Merchan was hearing arguments on last-minute issues, #Trump appeared to nod off a few times, his mouth going slack & his head drooping onto his chest.
Trump’s lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, passed him notes for several minutes before Trump appeared to jolt awake & notice them.
#Trump has remained largely motionless (or asleep), hunched over the defense table, as Justice #Merchan continues jury instructions. He occasionally looks up at the judge. But when Merchan says it will be his responsibility to impose an appropriate sentence, Trump chuckles.
Trump attys argued the judge’s daughter works for a marketing firm that benefits from politically targeting Trump because it works for some Democrats—making the exact same argument that failed before.
With his first #criminal trial set to start in 10 days, #Trump seems to be testing a way around the gag order by putting his public criticism of the daughter of Judge #Merchan into the #public court filings themselves, & then #promoting the filings.
State Supreme Court judge blocked #Trump’s attempt to gain access to #NBC’s documentary material related to adult film actress #StormyDaniels.
Manhattan Judge Juan #Merchan said Trump atty’s subpoena was “far too broad” & did not meet the #legal standard to compel #NBCUniversal to turn over docs & other items related to the documentary “Stormy.”
“In the instant matter, the Defendant seeks ‘all’ documents, including but not limited to vague & overbroad requests,” #Merchan wrote in the ruling issued Friday.
NY #Justice Juan #Merchan on Wednesday denied Trump's bid to #delay his April 15 trial on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star until #SCOTUS reviews his claim to presidential #immunity in a separate criminal case.
The ruling Wednesday by Judge Juan #Merchan clears the way for the first of 4 pending #criminal prosecutions against #Trump to go before a #jury, even though #SCOTUS has yet to rule on his [BS] #immunity claim in a separate federal case in Washington over #Jan6, #FakeElectors & other acts of #ElectionInterference. Jury selection in Manhattan starts April 15.
Judge Juan #Merchan has finally had enough of #Trump siccing his rabid disciples on the judge's daughter.
The gag order in Trump's New York election coverup case has been extended to include staff and family members of the Court and DA Alvin Bragg's office. Trump can (and surely will) continue making statements about the judge and the DA, but family and staffers are now off-limits.
#GagOrder Against #Trump Is Expanded to Stop Attacks on Judge’s Family
Donald Trump had in recent days targeted the daughter of Juan #Merchan, the judge overseeing his #criminal trial in Manhattan, in blistering social media posts.
In the expanded order, Justice #Merchan recognized #Trump's "constitutional right to speak to the American voters freely, & to defend himself publicly," & clarified that the initial #GagOrder did not include members of his or #AlvinBragg's family, but wrote Trump’s attacks on family members serve no purpose but to inject fear.
"Defendant's claim of a constitutional right to levy personal attacks on family members is as disturbing as it is wrong."
#Trump attys argued that it was okay to attack Justice #Merchan's daughter bc she's allegedly engaged in "adversarial campaign speech" by his political opponents.
#Trump files challenge to the Manhattan trial #GagOrder & in the filing Trump’s attorneys actually attack Judge #Merchan’s daughter & say Trump’s attacks on her & on the judge are justified.
Trump’s filing was in response a previously undisclosed filing by Manhattan DA #AlvinBragg who alerted the the judge to the posts & asked that the court “clarify or confirm that its March 26, 2024 Order Restricting Extrajudicial Statements protects family members of the Court, the DA, & all other individuals mentioned in the Order” & recommended Judge #Merchan threaten #contempt charges.
“…if the Court wishes to consider such an expansion, a complete opportunity for full adversarial briefing is necessary. Such briefing would address, inter alia, the constitutional problems attendant w/any additional improper restrictions on protected campaign speech …where the family member referenced in the pre-motion letter is actively supporting adversarial campaign speech by President Trump’s political opponents.”