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#Trump has posted a photo on his social media w/o comment — the photo of the #UpsideDown American #flag that was hung outside the home of #SCOTUS justice Samuel #Alito after the Capitol riot in 2021. The upside down flag was a symbol of distress but is now a #RightWing symbol of #Jan6, Stop the Steal & support for Trump. It was posted by several other #Republicans as well.
#StochasticTerrorism #PoliticalViolence #law #crime #extremism #TrumpTrial #conviction #felon #guilty #verdict
#Trump allies are demanding #retribution, & calling on #Republican prosecutors to go after #Democrats. One of Trump’s close allies, the influential #RightWing #ChristianNationalist #CharlieKirk, wondered on X how many Republican AGs & DAs “have stones.” “We aren’t a serious political movement until we are ready to fight fire with fire,” Kirk wrote. “Indict the left, or lose America.”
#GOP elected ofcls are at it too. Rep Mike Collins of Georgia: “Time for Red State AGs & DAs to get busy.”
#law
DA #AlvinBragg official press release on the #criminal #TrumpTrial #guilty #verdict:
https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-34-count-felony-trial-conviction-of-donald-j-trump/
#law #trump
Best line of the day goes to Manhattan DA #AlvinBragg:
“The defendant, Donald J. Trump, is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree to conceal a scheme to corrupt the 2016 election.”
Just minutes after the verdict was announced, the Trump campaign sent out a fund-raising email in which #Trump said, in all capital letters, “I am a political prisoner!”
#StochasticTerrorism #law #TrumpTrial #verdict #guilty #felon #DomesticViolentExtremists #RightWing #PoliticalViolence
Fucking hell; he will make millions on this #verdict from the chumps, the white supremacists, the angry, criminal, violent & privileged.
The #Trump campaign’s fundraising site, hosted by Republican fundraising platform Winred, is now back online & soliciting donations after crashing just minutes after today’s verdict. It bears Trump’s mugshot over the text “Never Surrender” & solicits donations ranging from $20.24 all the way to $3,300.
#law #guilty #felon #TrumpTrial #democracy
Next week's @NewYorker cover is of #Trump in handcuffs
The drawing on the cover of next week's issue of The New Yorker, titled "A Man of #Conviction" & created by the artist John Cuneo, shows Trump’s tiny hands being handcuffed, arms outstretched over his swollen figure, his trademark red tie draped over his belly.
#EditorialCartoon #PoliticalCartoon #law #crime #USPOL #art #TrumpTrial #verdict #guilty #felon
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cover-story/cover-story-2024-06-10
#AlvinBragg, the Manhattan DA, is about to discuss the #verdict
Watch:
or
https://www.c-span.org/video/?536060-1/da-alvin-bragg-holds-news-conference-trump-guilty-verdict
I checked, Fox News is carrying the news conference
#law #TrumpTrial #Trump #verdict #guilty #felon
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says "the jury has spoken" after Trump conviction
Former President Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts in the "hush money" trial in New York.Melissa Quinn (CBS News)
Asked by NYT’s legal reporter Jonah Bromwich how he feels having had so much criticism of many of his decisions related to the Trump investigation, & eventually in bringing the #Trump #criminal case, Alvin Bragg said:
“I did my job. Our job is to follow the facts without fear or favor, & that’s what we did here. I did my job, we did our jobs.” He says “there are many voices out there, but the only voice that matters is the voice of the jury, & the jury has spoken.”
#TrumpTrial #law #felon
#Trump will obviously #appeal.
Before that is heard, Trump will be dealing w/ the #criminal #justice system.
Trump’s #sentencing is July 11.
He could be sentenced prison or probation.
A pre-sentencing report makes recommendations based on the defendant’s criminal record — Trump had none before this case — as well as his personal history & the crime itself.
#law #TrumpTrial #verdict #guilty
All of the jurors have individually confirmed their #guilty verdicts.
#Trump now looking at the jury as each juror is polled to confirm their decision of guilty on all counts.
Trump is unresponsive, sitting slack at the defense table.
He is largely expressionless, a glum look on his face, as “guilty” has just been heard 34 times.
Justice #Merchan tells the jurors they can discuss the case if they’d like, but do not have to. The choice is theirs, but they are no longer barred from discussing the case. He asks to meet w/them to discuss their work, though not the facts of the case.
The judge thanks the jury. He tells them he admires & appreciates their hard work, & praises them for their engagement & their investment. “You gave this matter the attention that it deserved and I thank you for that.”
#Trump #TrumpTrial #law
#Trump stands up as the jurors exit, w/a frown on his face. He does not look at the jury as they leave, his eyes downcast.
Todd Blanche, Trump's lawyer, is arguing, w/ the jurors gone, that the verdict is impromper and should be tossed because it relied on Michael Cohen’s testimony.
The judge immediately denies the motion.
Sentencing is set for July 11 at 10 a.m.
Trump is now a #felon.
Justice #Merchan says the #jurors also asked for headphones to use w/the evidence laptop. This suggests they may want to listen to the secret recordings #MichaelCohen made, or excerpts from his podcasts, or some other piece of evidence that includes audio.
Yesterday, Merchan noted that the laptop jurors are using to view the evidence is not equipped w/ Wi-Fi, & he just did it again, on the record, & had both parties acknowledge that they’d heard him.
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial
If the laptop had Wi-Fi, the #jurors would have access to info about the case during #deliberations that they aren’t supposed to.
By making the point about the Wi-Fi on the record, #Merchan has protected himself from either side making an issue out of it in an appeal (or in the media).
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial
The #jury is back in the courtroom. The court reporter is on the stand to read the four portions of testimony.
The judge asks the jury whether they want to hear the #testimony or #JuryInstructions first.
Justice Merchan is beginning w/ p6, which starts w/ directing jurors how to consider #evidence, & ending w/ p 35, where the judge explains how his instructions on the #law apply to the counts in the case.
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial
As Justice #Merchan re-reads the #JuryInstructions, #Trump has had his eyes closed, & his chin has sometimes slumped to his chest. At other times, his head has been fallen backwards — just waiting for his mouth to drop open & let flies enter. #NodFarter
Merchan is now in the middle of p 17 of the instructions, explaining jurors can consider whether any #witness would benefit from his or her own #testimony. (hmm)
Justice #Merchan is now at the part of the #JuryInstructions where he’s describing “#AccessorialLiability,” the part that suggests the defendant doesn't need to have actively participated in the commission of the #crime to be found #guilty, as long as he in some way DIRECTED or INTENTIONALLY AIDED the #criminal conduct of someone else. In this case, that relates to the alleged falsification of business records.
#law #Trump #TrumpTrial
There were few #witnesses whose testimony was central to the #crimes charged. One was #MichaelCohen, whose #credibility was attacked by #Trump's lawyer Todd #Blanche.
Another witness —who had no connection to the falsification of business records— was #StormyDaniels, whose #HushMoney from Cohen is what was covered up. Susan Necheles, the defense lawyer w/the most trial experience on Trump's team, worked aggressively to sow doubts about Daniels’s story w/the jury.
#Merchan rereads the complex charges:
#Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a second crime, a conspiracy to aid an election by #UnlawfulMeans (click hashtag for more on the legal term).
The options for those unlawful means include several other crimes.
Each individual #criminal charge contains within it several other crimes.
Justice #Merchan is done, & now the court reporter will read the #testimony. 2 court reporters will read. The first explains that she is the “lawyer” & that her colleague, on the witness stand is “David Pecker.” They start w/ testimony pertaining to a phone call that #Pecker & #Trump had in June 2016, acc/to Pecker’s testimony.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
This #testimony is good for the prosecution.
David #Pecker testified that #Trump acknowledged speaking to #MichaelCohen about the issue & acknowledged knowing #KarenMcDougal, one of the women who was eventually paid to keep quiet during the 2016 campaign about her story of having had an affair w/ Trump.
“Karen is a nice girl,” Trump said on this call, according to Pecker’s testimony.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Pecker testified that he recommended that #Trump buy #KarenMcDougal’s story. The portion of #testimony ends before the #jury hears what comes next. Pecker testified that #MichaelCohen called him back & told him to buy McDougal’s story on Trump's behalf.
Jurors heard the portion of Pecker's testimony when he said he believed the story of Trump having had an affair w/McDougal was true, & would be embarrassing to Trump.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
Next the court reporters read the second part of David #Pecker’s #testimony that the #jurors asked to hear, where he explains that he decided he did not want to be repaid for #KarenMcDougal’s story after purchasing it. The implication was that he was concerned about the #legal consequences of accepting a reimbursement - he testified that the concern was regarding FEC violations.
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
#Jurors hear #Pecker recall that after he said he wasn’t going to go thru w/the agreement w/ #MichaelCohen, who was to pay him for the rights to #KarenMcDougal’s story using an LLC, Cohen told him: “The boss is going to be very angry at you.”
Court reporters read the 3rd portion of Pecker’s testimony. This part pertains to the Aug 2015 #TrumpTowerMeeting in which Pecker, Michael Cohen & #Trump entered a #conspiracy to suppress negative news about Trump during the #2016election.
#Pecker’s #testimony here is key to prosecution's case. Jurors also asked to hear MichaelCohen’s testimony about the #TrumpTowerMeeting. They will hear that next.
One of the major arguments the defense made during closings also pertained to this meeting, & concerned the idea that the phrase #CatchAndKill was not used during it.
(It’s not used in the charges either. It’s just a characterization not a legal term.)
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
The #jurors just again heard #Pecker’s #testimony that the reason he was purchasing negative stories on #Trump’s behalf was to benefit his presidential campaign.
Defense atty Emil #Bove cross-examined Pecker, & jurors are hearing part of that cross now. Bove elicited testimony that Pecker misremembered the exact date of the Aug 2015 meeting, & more generally that Pecker was testifying about events from a long time ago.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
Testimony readbacks can highlight moments that were seemingly rushed by during trial.
Here, we see that it was very important for the defense for #Bove to call #Pecker’s memory about this meeting into question.
Also the importance of objections becomes very apparent. Any objection that was sustained by the judge — & several were in this cross of Pecker — is not read aloud as the jury considers a potential verdict.
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial
#Pecker testified on cross-examination that the phrase “#CatchAndKill” was not used at the Aug 2015 #TrumpTowerMeeting — & that there was no financial agreement made in concert w/the plan for him to supress negative stories about #Trump AT THAT MEETING.
The defense has argued that both of those data points should cast doubt on the prosecution’s theory.
The end of the cross-examination of #Pecker was less good for the defense. It was just read aloud again. “There was a discussion about that I was going to be the eyes and ears of the campaign,” Pecker testified. “And there was a discussion that I would be notifying Michael Cohen of any women that were in the process of or going to be selling stories.”
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
Court reporters now read the 4th & final portion of #testimony that jurors asked to hear: #MichaelCohen’s recounting of that same #TrumpTowerMeeting.
Cohen’s testimony matches Pecker’s account closely. #Pecker testified that he had said he would be #Trump’s “eyes & ears” & watch out for negative stories. Cohen recalls him saying he would “keep an eye out for anything negative.”
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
The #testimony readbacks are complete, & #jurors are excused to continue their #deliberations. They have asked to use both headphones & speakers to listen to #evidence that includes an audio portion.
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
#Trump leaves for his waiting room (an empty courtroom w/security), w/his entourage.
Trump, in the hallway outside the courtroom, falsely blames the #GagOrder as he refuses to answer reporters, telling them “I’d like to answer all of your questions, they’re very easy to answer.”
The questions shouted at him — including whether he worried about potential prison time — have nothing to do w/issues covered by the order.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #Gaslighting #propaganda #StochasticTerrorism
Why #jurors in the NY #criminal #TrumpTrial can’t have a copy of the #JuryInstructions:
The prohibition against jurors being provided a copy of written #legal instructions comes from a 1987 decision by the #NewYork Court of Appeals in #PeopleVOwens.
The court found that “the distribution of written instructions to the jury is not expressly authorized by #law, & error in such submissions cannot be deemed harmless,” meaning: providing instructions would result in a #conviction being #overturned.
Marc F. Scholl, who served in the Manhattan DA’s office for nearly 4 decades, specializing in white-collar crimes & appeals, said: “Recently, there has been some slight loosening about whether it can be done w/ the defense’s consent, but it remains a minefield that judges do not want to risk.”
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #Deliberations #JuryInstructions #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
There’s a #verdict
They request 30 minutes to fill out the forms.
Trump, who had been smiling a minute ago, is suddenly serious after the judge’s alert that there’s a verdict.
His arms are now crossed across his chest as he whispers with his lawyers.
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics #GagOrder #StochasticTerrorism #StormyDaniels #KarenMcDougal #NodFarter
The #verdict must be unanimous on the primary crime falsification of business records.
Once #jurors inform the court they have reached a verdict, Justice Juan #Merchan will summon the parties to the courtroom to hear it read by the foreperson.
Merchan must still affirm the verdict & enter a final judgment.
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics #GagOrder #StochasticTerrorism #StormyDaniels #KarenMcDougal #NodFarter
