#Trump has a huge posse today, including #KashPatel; #GerryKassar, a #conservative party leader in NY; #BernieKerik, fmr NYPD commissioner who was imprisoned for tax fraud & false statements; #AlanDershowitz, lawyer who defended Trump during his first impeachment, & #BorisEpshteyn, legal adviser who was #indicted in AZ for attempts to keep Trump in power after the 2020 election.
Justice #Merchan says that it’s become apparent that closings will not take place tomorrow. It’s looking more like #evidence, #testimony & all other business before closings will happen this week & closing arguments will take place next Tues.
“It was either have a long break now or have a long break then, & unfortunately the calendar is what it is,” the judge says, re the Memorial Day weekend.
The new #TrumpTrial schedule provides the #jury w/less of an interruption between closeting arguments & deliberations, allowing jurors to hear the defense & prosecution summations, the judge’s legal instructions, & then begin their deliberations w/it all fresh in mind.
#Hoffinger, one of the prosecutors, is addressing some exhibits that #Trump defense wants to enter into #evidence. One relates to comms between #MichaelCohen & his lawyer, Jeff Citron, about another lawyer, Bob Costello.
The lawyers have begun to argue over whether the defense can use #evidence that was not previously a part of the trial. Justice #Merchan has barred one potential email, related to #MichaelCohen & #RobertCostello, a lawyer who spoke w/Cohen in 2018, as he was beginning to question his relationship w/ #Trump. Costello, a fmr fed prosecutor, became a character late in the trial, but he’s come up a lot in the last few days.
Justice #Merchan says he is still deciding on #JuryInstructions. Both the prosecutors & the defense have submitted proposals for what they would like. He makes it clear that he has not decided what he will do.
Merchan made 2 minor rulings against the defense. Both times defense lawyers pushed back, seeking another chance to enter new #evidence (#delay), + clarity on jury instructions to inform the testimony of their expert witness.
#Trump defense atty Emil #Bove suggests that the prosecutors, in their proposed #JuryInstructions, shifted their theory of the case.
He’s possibly talking about the state #ElectionLaw that underlies the #felony business records charges against Trump. Justice #Merchan doesn’t seem to agree, but says prosecution’s proposal for jury instructions holds no weight — it’s only a proposal.
“Just relax,” Merchan tells defense. Nothing, he says, has been determined.
Prosecutor #Colangelo argues “there’s nothing new at all” about their theory. The charges against #Trump are #felonies because he falsified business records to conceal another #crime. They signaled that other crime was seeking to promote his own #election "by unlawful means," in violation of state #ElectionLaw. That introduces a 3rd potential crime.
3 potential crimes, all wrapped into each of the 34 felony charges of falsifying business records.
A #Saskatchewan man who had a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl he met on #Tinder successfully appealed to shorten release conditions barring him from online dating.
The three appeal court judges who heard the case did not accept Howitt’s argument that the release conditions should be scrapped, but instead “calibrated to restrict his opportunities to have contact with children in similar circumstances.”
We shouldn't let crimes against LGBTQ people be normalised in society. It is 21st century!!
The bodies of three unidentified transgender persons were found floating in a village tank near Gargeyapuram of Kurnool rural mandal on Sunday.
After brashly declaring he wanted to #testify in his #criminal trial, it appears increasingly unlikely that #Trump will do so, as the #jury seems poised to hear #ClosingArguments next week.
Defendants rarely testify, because their #lawyers advise them that the risks of doing so, particularly when it comes to being questioned by prosecutors #UnderOath, are simply too great.
In Trump’s case, the judge’s discussions w/ #lawyers in recent days indicate that even if the defense calls a small number of witnesses, they do not expect #Trump to be one….
4 people close to Trump said next wk’s plan does not include him testifying, & they expect the #jury to start deliberating later in the wk. Trump is famously mercurial & could always demand to testify….
“It sounds like we might possibly be done w/ the presentation of evidence on Monday,” NY Supreme Court Justice Juan #Merchan said Thurs.
Blanche quickly added, “I was not speaking about President Trump, obviously. … That’s another decision that we need to think through.”
★ If #Trump were to take the stand, such testimony could take many days, which would significantly extend the trial.
Since we now know Alito was flying his flag upside down at the time, let’s review one of the plans the coup plotters had involving him.
This interview by criminal defendant Powell is interesting. It suggests that the purpose of the insurrection was to DELAY the electoral college certification to give #Alito time to intervene on this legal challenge. But, Powell says they didn’t anticipate Pelosi reconvening Congress that day.
Crimal defendant Powell is interesting. It suggests that the purpose of the insurrection was to DELAY the electoral college certification to give #scotus#Alito time to intervene on this legal challenge. But, Powell says they didn’t anticipate Speaker Pelosi reconvening Congress.
#Georgia Mugshot (Right) in his arrest for election crimes, trying to steal our election by fraud and overthrow the US government, arrest mugshot of republican John Eastman.
#Trump pledges to 'roll back' Democratic President Joe #Biden’s #gun#regulations put in place by Democratic President Joe #Biden & to fire the #ATF chief during a lengthy rally speech to the #NRA on Sat, during which he accepted the influential group's #endorsement.
The address to thousands of #NRA members at the group's annual Leadership Forum in Dallas was light on new #policy, but he used the platform to urge #gun supporters to go to the polls in the Nov #election.
"We've got to get gun owners to vote," #Trump said in his wide-rangingspeech, which covered everything from his #criminal trials to #trade & #immigration over >90 mins.
"I think you're a rebellious bunch. But let's be rebellious & vote this time."
The nation's top #gun rights group has now endorsed #Trump 3X - in 2016, 2020 & 2024.
The org cheered on Trump during his 2017-2021 term, as he appointed 3 #conservative justices to #SCOTUS & took a series of steps sought by the #GunLobby.…Including designating #firearm shops as “essential businesses” during the #COVID19#pandemic, allowing them to stay open.
During the speech, #Trump repeated a pledge to fire the director of the Bureau of #Alcohol, #Tobacco, #Firearms & #Explosives, known as the #ATF, on Day One of a potential administration. He accused that agency, which enforces #UnitedStates#GunLaws, of being heavy-handed w/ #FirearmOwners & revoking licenses on frivolous grounds.
"Tonight, Donald Trump confirmed that he will do exactly what the #NRA tells him to do - even if it means more death, more shootings, & more suffering,"— #Biden camp spox.
…Trump repeated a false claim that he won the 2020 election, & he went after Biden in aggressive terms, repeating claims of corruption that are not supported by available #evidence.