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

[noblepa]

Another comment:

I'd hate to think what this photo would look like if Trump decided the latest fashion was tying a severed cow penis to your forehead and wearing a green neon jumpsuit.

Uhh, cows don't have penises. Bulls do. Cows are female.

But, it is still a fun mental image and a good point about the Mango Musolini's control of the party.

[Reality Check]

Off Topic

Thanks. Could you -- or someone -- also post Judge Land's two unreported decisions awarding first $10,000 in sanctions and then doubling the amount? I don't have them on my computer.

And I'm going to suggest to Foggy that he move these posts to another topic in the Other weirdos sub-forum, probably bob's excellent Dregs of birther remainders topic.

Off Topic

I found both snactions orders on Court Listener. I will post at the Dregs topic.

[Flatpoint High]

This clip has been making the rounds on twitter yesterday.


They think this means Goldman was coaching Cohen during his testimony yesterday. None of them have posted the full segment because it most likely refers to when Goldman worked for SDNY

It was sarcasm.

[Ben-Prime]

Some funny person labeled this the "Reservoir Lapdogs."

Another comment:

I'd hate to think what this photo would look like if Trump decided the latest fashion was tying a severed cow penis to your forehead and wearing a green neon jumpsuit.

Cow ... penis? I mean, maybe if a BULL, but COW? Does not compute. Funny, but... I expect better, is what I'm saying.

ETA: Ninjaed by Noblepa. Damn the time zone differences of being on the other side of the world.

[Ben-Prime]

On a more serious note, is anyone else getting tired of folks calling this surrogate crap a 'loophole' in the gag order like Trump and his attorneys are geniuses for walking right up to the judge and holding their hands millimeters from his face and shouting "We're not touching you!"? Because, as we have discussed here, the gag order does address this; it ain't a loophole, and it feels sloppy to call it such.

OTOH, I have just woken up, it's barely past 5 in the morning for me, and perhaps I'm cranky.

[Kendra]

Apparently a reporter was on an MSNBC panel last night, and Nicolle played the tape on Deadline WH to discuss. The gist of it was, that reporter was close enough behind tfg to see what papers he was scribbling all over. According to him, it was quotes from the comments that were made/or they were going to make (unclear which to me), and he was annotating them. No coordination at all

Edit: I spoke too soon, just came across this: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 8185&ei=12

On Monday, New York Magazine's Andrew Rice told MSNBC he witnessed the defendant in the courtroom appearing to edit the statements that his self-declared surrogates would go on to say. “I was sitting close enough that I could actually look over Trump’s shoulder and see what he was reading,” Rice recounted. As Michael Cohen testified, Trump was “going through and annotating and editing the quotes that these people were going to say," Rice said.

[Maybenaut]

On a more serious note, is anyone else getting tired of folks calling this surrogate crap a 'loophole' in the gag order like Trump and his attorneys are geniuses for walking right up to the judge and holding their hands millimeters from his face and shouting "We're not touching you!"? Because, as we have discussed here, the gag order does address this; it ain't a loophole, and it feels sloppy to call it such.

OTOH, I have just woken up, it's barely past 5 in the morning for me, and perhaps I'm cranky.

I’m not a fan of the term “loophole” in any legal context. The law is the law; it allows what it allows and prohibits what it prohibits. That’s not to say that there aren’t unintended consequences where the legislature failed to consider all of the ways a person could do a thing that the legislature meant to prohibit.

And don’t get me started on “He got off on a technicality!” when that “technicality” was the failure of law enforcement or a lower court in observing the constitutional rights of the defendant.

[Rolodex]

What Andrew Rice says he says looks like a direct violation of the gag order, which I'm fairly certain includes "causing to be said" type language. Maybe Merchan gets a nice note from Mr Rice.

[Kendra]

What Andrew Rice says he says looks like a direct violation of the gag order, which I'm fairly certain includes "causing to be said" type language. Maybe Merchan gets a nice note from Mr Rice.

I hope so. The opinions on Deadline WH were that the judge might not go there, unless the DA makes an issue of it.

[p0rtia]

IMO Merchan has to put Mr Hunnybunch on the stand and ask him what he did, then rule on his believability, as Engoron did. If he wants to maintain his principles.

Some wise head said that he won't do it if the DA doesn't ask him to.

[andersweinstein]

I'd hate to think what this photo would look like if Trump decided the latest fashion was tying a severed cow penis to your forehead and wearing a green neon jumpsuit.

Cow ... penis? I mean, maybe if a BULL, but COW? Does not compute. Funny, but... I expect better, is what I'm saying.

You're right, but "cow penis" is just a funnier phrase. Words with a 'k' ...

[AndyinPA]

https://www.salon.com/2024/05/15/mercha ... liticians/

Donald Trump is no longer attending his hush money trial alone, now enjoying a growing crew of GOP hanger-ons who are helping him circumvent his gag order by acting as "surrogates" outside the courthouse. As Alternet notes, Trump's entourage may be pleasing to the former president, but it's now annoying Judge Juan Merchan.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins reported that Merchan was "visibly annoyed" by Trump's support group, which he appeared to view as disruptive to the proceedings. "This judge does not give away much," she told Wolf Blitzer. "He has a very even tone. He greets Donald Trump with a 'Good morning, Mr. Trump' every single day that he walks inside the courtroom… but there was this moment where it was five or six people from Trump's team, and they get into the second row of the entire courtroom to sit in the pews, to listen to what's happening. And the judge stared straight at them as they were walking in."

The group of elected politicians, aides, and party officials have greeted Trump each morning, sat behind him during the trial proceedings, and given press conferences in which they have condemned the whole affair as political persecution. They have also attacked witnesses, the judge and his family.

[pipistrelle]

https://www.salon.com/2024/05/15/mercha ... liticians/

He greets Donald Trump with a 'Good morning, Mr. Trump' every single day that he walks inside the courtroom.

How disrespectful not to call him "President Trump, sir" and not to have tears in his eyes.

[Ben-Prime]

https://www.salon.com/2024/05/15/mercha ... liticians/

He greets Donald Trump with a 'Good morning, Mr. Trump' every single day that he walks inside the courtroom.

How disrespectful not to call him "President Trump, sir" and not to have tears in his eyes.

I think it's okay because he's not big and burly enough for the tears to have an impact.

[Rolodex]

I think Cohen is the last witness for the prosecution; he's now being cross examined by the defense. I expect the DA to do a re-direct (who knows if there will be a re-cross). If the DA rests, do we know who - if anyone - the defense has on their witness list?

[MN-Skeptic]

Gift link to NYTimes live blogging of today's trial -

Live Updates: Questioning of Michael Cohen Focuses on His Wish to See Trump Jailed

[New Turtle]

I think Cohen is the last witness for the prosecution; he's now being cross examined by the defense. I expect the DA to do a re-direct (who knows if there will be a re-cross). If the DA rests, do we know who - if anyone - the defense has on their witness list?

I wonder if they have any of the numerous legal scholars on the list, the ones who all say there is no case like Turley, Tom Fitton, Dersh, etc.

[Slim Cognito]

I have no idea, but I doubt any of them want to spout their legal theories under oath. It's not like Fox News where lying is a requirement.

[bob]

I have no idea, but I doubt any of them want to spout their legal theories under oath. It's not like Fox News where lying is a requirement.

Doubtful any would be permited to testify.

[bill_g]

Doubtful any would be permited to testify.

That will be spun as the judge denined them their constitutional right to free speech.

[noblepa]

I think Cohen is the last witness for the prosecution; he's now being cross examined by the defense. I expect the DA to do a re-direct (who knows if there will be a re-cross). If the DA rests, do we know who - if anyone - the defense has on their witness list?

I wonder if they have any of the numerous legal scholars on the list, the ones who all say there is no case like Turley, Tom Fitton, Dersh, etc.

Would that even be allowed? Birthers and sovcits have tried bringing in so-called "experts" to attempt to lecture the court on what the law is. Judges have routinely disallowed such testimony.

IANAL, but even I know that questions of law are not decided by the jury, but by the judge. If a witness testifies as to a question of law, it is inappropriate, as the jury doesn't get to make those decisions. The jury is there to decide the facts of the case, and who to believe and who to disbelieve.

If a defendant feels that the trial judge has made a mistake as to the law, it is up to an appeals court to overrule the trial judge.

If a defendant wants to question the trial judge's interpretation or application of the law, wouldn't it be more appropriate to have a hearing without the jury, rather than having the witness testify in open court in front of the jury?

[chancery]

Would that even be allowed?

No.

If a defendant wants to question the trial judge's interpretation or application of the law, wouldn't it be more appropriate to have a hearing without the jury, rather than having the witness testify in open court in front of the jury?

Yes.

[chancery]

https://twitter.com/AnnaBower/status/17 ... 008930430

Anna Bower
@AnnaBower
Can you explain to the jury how you go about getting a reporter to say positive things about you/Trump Org? I know reporters at many newspapers. Have longstanding relationship with them. What I would do is reach out and ask them if they're interested in doing an article. I would give them the exclusive on it.

What about how you dealt w/ negative stories? That's different. The reporters would reach out to me, say we're doing a story on this, we would like you to comment on this. I would go to Trump's office, discuss with him, craft a response, take it back to the journalist.

With the caveats that I'm not following today's testimony and this is just an isolated snippet, ... that isn't what would ordinarily be considered effective cross-examination technique.

[andersweinstein]

If interested, this is a Twitter list of journalists covering the Trump trial. Consulting (or following) this list page will show you tweets from all of them. If you're already following on Twitter, I'm sure you have your favorite sources already, including names we're all familiar with. But this is an interesting, if occasionally overwhelming, presentation.

https://twitter.com/i/lists/1780234182645456980

[andersweinstein]

UPDATE: BLANCHE says witnesses he calls are unlikely to go beyond Monday (though he says they're stil discussing possible Trump testimony). Merchan tells parties to be prepared to begin closings on Tuesday.

https://x.com/kyledcheney/status/1791201326405497027