Bragg Manhattan DA charges tfg? Hush money. tfg “INDICATED!”

[Volkonski]

Costumes and cursing among small group of Trump supporters
The protesters are outnumbered by the press.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2 ... g-00152232

Two hours after the start of a pro-Trump rally, demonstrators supporting the former president are still outnumbered by members of the news media.

Some of the demonstrators are in costume. Some curse as they shout slogans. Their soundtrack is the ongoing construction at the nearby jail, the sporadic honking of a truck flying Trump flags and an anti-Trump protester playing a mournful tune on a flute.

The higher-profile Trump backers who were here — none in costume — have been Andrew Giuliani, Laura Loomer and Vish Burra. Newsmax personalities John Tabacco and Cara Castronuova are here recording content. And a much different TV personality, Jordan Klepper of “The Daily Show,” is also in the park across from the courthouse interviewing Trump supporters.

Castronuova, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in New York, predicted Trump would win the deep blue state this November. But she all but acknowledged that the pro-Trump crowd is small.

“I just think that people are kind of tired of these trials. And they know they really mean nothing,” she told POLITICO. She added that the anti-Trump demonstrators, by contrast, are fewer and tamer.

[Volkonski]

Court debating whether prosecutors can show jury emails, tweets and phone calls related to Cohen

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/ ... index.html

The court is arguing now about whether prosecutors can show the jury emails, tweets and phone calls related to the pressure campaign on Michael Cohen to not flip and cooperate against Donald Trump.

Trump leaned forward to look at the screen in front of him as prosecutor Joshua Steinglass read the tweets on the screen about Cohen from 2018, which Steinglass said showed Trump “telegraphing” to Cohen the importance of staying on message.

While prosecutor Steinglass was speaking, Trump passed a note to his attorney Todd Blanche, who looked at it and nodded several times.

[Volkonski]

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/15 ... 595e2e6e66

Trump has been sitting mostly quietly as Steinglass, the prosecutor, has read a litany of evidence related to how Trump handled Michael Cohen, save for one moment: Trump chuckled when Steinglass read a tweet that Trump sent while he was president saying that if anyone wanted a good lawyer, they shouldn’t hire Cohen. That tweet went on to praise another former Trump aide, Paul Manafort, for not cooperating with prosecutors.

[Volkonski]

Prosecutors argue Trump social media posts violate gag order

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/ ... index.html

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is now bringing up some of Trump's recent Truth Social posts saying they violate the gag order to not make statements about potential witnesses.

Among the posts, prosecutors cite one from Wednesday when Trump references "two sleazebags," which, in the context, are Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.

Trump doesn't say anything while leaving courtroom
The court is now on a short break, and Donald Trump walked out without saying anything.

[Volkonski]

Trump reposts false claim that Orthodox Jews are excluded from jury pool

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald ... rcna145934

Trump reposted a claim on his Truth Social website about Orthodox Jews being unable to sit on this jury because having court in session on Fridays conflicts with Shabbat, which begins Friday night at sundown.

But Merchan contradicted this claim today, saying that there would be no trial on any day that conflicts with the religious observance of any juror, including Passover, which begins next week.

Merchan also said he is willing to curtail trial on April 22 and April 23 by 2 p.m. to allow counsel to make it to their holiday observances by sundown, which is roughly at 7:43 p.m.

[pipistrelle]

Trump reposts false claim that Orthodox Jews are excluded from jury pool

How DEI of him.

[Volkonski]

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/15 ... 595e2e6e66

Trump is back in the courtroom, again walking with Blanche. The two seem inseparable.

[SuzieC]

https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/the-tr ... ump-season

Jay Kuo's substack this morning.

[Volkonski]

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/ ... index.html

Judge Juan Merchan is back on the bench.

He told the court that questions about admitting tweets about Michael Cohen from 2018 is "academic," because the door will be opened once Donald Trump's lawyers try to attack Cohen's credibility.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

I haven't paid much attention to criminal trials so I don't know exactly what goes on. I know they do jury selection fairly early in the process. Is that mostly what will go on tomorrow? Does Trump just sit there like a lump in court while that is done?

it will take the week.

Yes, Trump will sit like a lump. The judge, then the lawyers question the panel of prospective jurors to determine bias. The lawyers can challenge seating of the juror for cause or a peremptory challenge (meaning no stated cause). There are a limited number of peremptory challenges for each side.

[Suranis]

And, there's no opportunity for him to grab attention for himself or seek praise, so he will go into shutdown.

He will see that he got press inches for that "Chuckle" however, so he might start Chuckling like a Chuckle Brother chasing a Chuck chucking Chucklings.

[Volkonski]

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald ... rcna145934

The judge is going over the instructions for questioning potential jurors, known as voir dire.

He said that he will allow 30 minutes for the first round of questioning and 20 minutes for any subsequent rounds.

Merchan is talking about Trump's right to be present in court — known as Parker admonitions.

Merchan is talking directly to the former president for the first time all day, issuing a stark warning that if he fails to show up for trial without a reason a warrant will be issued for his arrest.

Blanche said Trump intends to be present at the trial, but there may be an occasion that would warrant his absence. But it is Trump's intent to be present at every conference during jury selection, Blanche said.

Merchan said they will try to fit every potential juror in the jury room, but with the Secret Service accompanying Trump everywhere, it may not be possible to do so.

DA's office wants judge to sanction Trump $1,000 for each of three social media posts

Prosecutors said they want Merchan to punish Trump for violating the judge's gag order by sharing certain social media posts over the weekend.

They said they want the judge to sanction Trump for each of three posts, to tell Trump to take down the posts, and to warn him that another post could result in jail time.

[Volkonski]

[Volkonski]

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/15 ... 595e2e6e66

April 15, 2024, 12:10 p.m. ET46 minutes ago
46 minutes ago
Maggie Haberman

Trump appears to be sleeping. His head keeps dropping down and his mouth goes slack.

[bob]

Plump does not have to be there for Jury Selection, right?

In criminal trials, generally speaking, defendants are required to be at every day of the trial, unless they expressly waive their right to be there, and the judge grants that request. (Disruptive defendants may be nonconsensually removed.)

A competent defense attorney will urge their clients to not make such a request, as jurors tend to punish defendants who skip out on their own trials. Having said that, It is common for criminal defendants to waive their appearance for "pure law" stuff, like hearings on legal points, when there are no jurors and no witnesses present. That is, when no juror or witness would learn that the defendant wasn't there.

(In a normal trial, the defendant already is in custody, so the issue is mostly academic. But occasionally even incarcerated defendants say they'd rather be back in a cell, and a judge obliges them.)

[sterngard friegen]

Bragg has ignored (by failing to charge) the conspiracy among Trump, Pecker, Cohen and Weisselberg. He hasn't charged Trump's attempt to consummate that conspiracy by paying the Enquirer's owners for the Karen McDougal "story." He has ignored the fact that Trump used the Trump Organization as a RICO under New York law, when he should have charged RICO violations and sought to add the Trump Organization to the case..

I think Bragg's timidity dooms the case.

I hope I'm wrong.

[Flatpoint High]

And, there's no opportunity for him to grab attention for himself or seek praise, so he will go into shutdown.

He will see that he got press inches for that "Chuckle" however, so he might start Chuckling like a Chuckle Brother chasing a Chuck chucking Chucklings.

apparently, he's "shutting down" according to a tweet, from Maggie Haberman, he's "sleeping"

GLOLiZYbYAAzJv5.jpeg (26.5 KiB) Viewed 308 times

[Volkonski]

Prosecutors turned Trump's words into "weapons against him," CNN analyst says

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/ ... index.html

One of the biggest takeaways from today's legal proceedings so far is that former President Donald Trump "had to sit and listen to prosecutors essentially turn his own words into weapons against him," New York Times reporter and CNN political analyst Maggie Haberman said.

Haberman, who was in the courtroom, pointed to prosecutors bringing up Trump's social media posts against Michael Cohen from his time in the White House and the Access Hollywood tape.

Such evidence "really underscores that this trial is going to be filled with personal discomfort for Donald Trump, who has often been able to just attack and then walk away," Haberman said. "This is going to be much harder for him here."
Earlier today, Judge Juan Merchan reiterated his past ruling preventing prosecutors from playing Trump’s Access Hollywood tape to the jury. But he clarified that the prosecutors could introduce the exact words that Trump said and an email related to the tape, as long as jurors do not hear the recording itself.

[northland10]

And, there's no opportunity for him to grab attention for himself or seek praise, so he will go into shutdown.

He will see that he got press inches for that "Chuckle" however, so he might start Chuckling like a Chuckle Brother chasing a Chuck chucking Chucklings.

apparently, he's "shutting down" according to a tweet, from Maggie Haberman, he's "sleeping"
GLOLiZYbYAAzJv5.jpeg

That may actually be his best choice since it will prevent him from creating problems and being disruptive.

[realist]

And, there's no opportunity for him to grab attention for himself or seek praise, so he will go into shutdown.

He will see that he got press inches for that "Chuckle" however, so he might start Chuckling like a Chuckle Brother chasing a Chuck chucking Chucklings.

apparently, he's "shutting down" according to a tweet, from Maggie Haberman, he's "sleeping"
GLOLiZYbYAAzJv5.jpeg

I read about that earlier this morning. My first thought was if indeed that's true, it's theater, attempting to convey to anyone interested that he's bored and this is a preceeding that doesn't merit his attention. I don't think the potential jury pool was in the courtroom at the time, but if they are, and certainly once a jury is seated, if he does this, that could be a real problem for him.

[bob]

Or: ... his well-documented "executive time" until noon indicates he's not a morning person.

[Volkonski]

These are the high-profile witnesses who are expected to testify in the trial

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/ ... index.html

Michael Cohen: Cohen is a central witness in this trial because he made the payment to Daniels and was reimbursed by the Trump Organization.

Stormy Daniels: Daniels is the adult film star who was paid $130,000 – the hush money payment – to keep her from going public about her claim that she had an affair with Trump. Her real name is Stephanie Clifford. Trump has denied the affair.��

Hope Hicks: Hicks is the former White House communications director under Trump. The day after the Access Hollywood tape came out in 2016, Hicks was on the phone with Cohen and Trump, CNN previously reported.

David Pecker: Pecker is the former chairman and CEO of American Media, which publishes the National Enquirer. He was involved in numerous “catch and kill” schemes he orchestrated on behalf of Trump, including burying a story about an affair between Trump and Karen McDougal.

Karen McDougal – American Media Inc agreed to pay McDougal $150,000 five months before the 2016 election for her silence about allegations of an affair with Trump, according to prosecutors. Trump has denied the affair. This payment is not part of the charges against Trump, but prosecutors have said in court filings that the testimony would help establish a pattern of payments.

Kellyanne Conway – Conway is the former counselor to Trump when he was president. Conway was one of the campaign aides who spoke with Cohen following the release of the Access Hollywood tape, CNN has reported.

Other witnesses will include bankers and Trump Organization officials who handled the payments, lawyers involved in the transaction, as well as other people who worked on Trump’s campaign, the sources said.

[neonzx]

Maybe he was given a couple of Xanax to keep him calm.

[Volkonski]

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald ... rcna145934

Merchan announced that instead of ruling on punishing Trump over a potential gag order violation today, he will hear arguments on the matter next Wednesday, April 21 at 2:15 p.m. ET.

[RVInit]

Merchan is talking directly to the former president for the first time all day, issuing a stark warning that if he fails to show up for trial without a reason a warrant will be issued for his arrest.