Trump’s history-making hush-money trial begins ...

Defense attorney says Trump only attacked Cohen, Daniels for political posts

Todd Blanche, one of Donald Trump’s defense attorneys, began responding to the prosecution’s allegations of Trump violating his gag order by saying he was only responding to political attacks, unrelated to witnesses or the trial.

“President Trump does in fact know what the gag order does allow him to do and not allow him to do,” Blanche said, “and there was absolutely no willful violation of the gag order in the 10 posts” that prosecutors flagged.'


cont:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...ey-trial-live-updates-david-pecker-testimony/

 

12 min ago
'Jury to arrive for the day after court takes a short break'


'The judge said he would rule later on the prosecution’s motion to hold Trump in contempt of court for violating the gag order, and would take short break before bringing the jury in at 11 a.m.

Reporters out in the hallway say Trump left the courtroom without speaking to them, raising his hand and turning away.'

cont:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...ey-trial-live-updates-david-pecker-testimony/

 

For gone conclusion he'll get gagged more and fined, Cohen will again do his daily podcast and MSNBC gig trashing Trump. It's everyday all day but Trump's an idiot and can't keep his mouth shut but neither can Cohen.

 

During the break, just after the testimony on violating his gag order, tRaitor tRump attacked Judge Merchan for taking away his free speech rights.

You can't make this **** up.

 

Someone needs to call mango Mussolinis bluff already and hold that traitorous dipshit in contemp.

 

Anyone else would be in jail waiting to make their court appearance(s).

 

Any other defendant wouldn't be gagged all the while the defense, and the primary state witnesses are allowed to try the case in public every day. Judge did his lefty job and trumps and hard headed idiot, Judge or daughter will move right on up in lefty world and probably never want again.

 

"Todd Blanche, an attorney for Trump, argued that his client was responding to political attacks in his posts, and did not believe he was violating the order when reposting or quoting others. The judge seemed unpersuaded, but said he would not make a ruling immediately.

"Mr. Blanche, you're losing all credibility, you're losing all credibility with the court," Merchan said at one point. "Is there any other argument you want to make?"

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-trial-new-york-first-witness-david-pecker/

 

The prosecution objected 6 x yesterday during Blanche's opening and that is a very rare occurrence.
Most defense attorneys know better then to go into areas not allowed during openings.
Juries can interpret sustained objections as the attorney was wrong and repeated wrongs do not look good for the defendant or the state.
Blanche made a lot of promises during his opening and he'll have to deliver with documents and witnesses.
Hopefully he'll get to meet Stormy on the stand cause Blanche claimed Trump never had sex with her, something that other lawyers are saying he NEVER should have claimed during opening.

“Really poor way to start”: Experts knock Trump lawyer's "weird" opening statement after objections
There were more sustained objections than "I have seen in my 30-plus years of practicing law," says Norm Eisen

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/23/re...ers-weird-opening-statement-after-objections/

 

MSNBC Lisa Rubin is reporting that Blanche was a experienced /successful prosecutor.
But...
Before representing Trump he had just ONE trial as a defense lawyer in the past decade and it was a "narrow issue".


"He knew that these were objectionable things he was saying,” Catherine A. Christian, a former prosecutor with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, told MSNBC. “They were objected to, but you can’t unring the bell,” she noted – meaning that you can’t make jurors forget what they heard, “and prosecutors can’t appeal an acquittal.”

But that strategy could backfire, too. Katie Phang, another legal analyst with MSNBC, argued that all the objections to Blanche’s opening statement could hurt his credibility with jurors. “When Blanche went beyond what he was allowed to do, not only did the objections get sustained… it interrupted flow,” Phang observed. “And that sends a message to the jury that Blanche is doing something wrong.”


https://www.salon.com/2024/04/23/re...ers-weird-opening-s

 

What you are obfuscating is tRaitor tRump’s history of calling his supporters to act out violently against those who oppose him. Which the others you mentioned don’t do.

No one is suggesting tRaitor tRump be harmed.

 

After Merchan makes his ruling today he can start with a 5 min time-out.

There's a jail cell right down the hall from the courtroom.

Next time, 10 mins time out.
15 mins...

 

Now it all makes sense.
Trump has said in the past that the National Enquirer was his go-to for news and he met his audience/voters.

16 min ago
'Trump’s soaring popularity with National Enquirer readers encouraged him to run for president, witness says'

'As publisher of the National Enquirer, David Pecker said the magazine’s surveys showed Donald Trump, then hosting the TV show “The Apprentice,” and then “Celebrity Apprentice,” was hugely popular with Enquirer readers.

“When Mr. Trump launched the ‘Celebrity Apprentice,’” Pecker said, “the interest in Mr. Trump through my magazines, basically the National Enquirer, skyrocketed.” The Enquirer then did a poll of its readership which showed that 80 percent of Enquirer readers wanted Trump to run for president, Pecker said.'


cont:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...ey-trial-live-updates-david-pecker-testimony/

 

Not surprising when you chose to defend Trump;
Join the club Blanche.
Michael Cohen has warned you all, over and over.
"RUN"


'Detrimental to reputation': Judge Merchan says Trump's lawyer is 'losing all credibility'

 

PORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE
3 min ago

'Stephen K. Bannon, the far-right former Trump adviser who came up in David Pecker’s testimony, has been commenting frequently on the New York trial via his “War Room” show and echoing Donald Trump’s criticisms. The judge in Trump’s case is also scheduled to oversee Bannon’s trial, starting in May, over allegations that Bannon defrauded donors to a “Build the Wall” fundraiser.'

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...er-testimony/#link-FLTRLO2AHRH6FN6ONEZXHS345U

 

Wow! Hugely popular with Enquirer readers! There's a shocker. And something for which he should be very very proud.

 

As Cohen has repeatedly said, nothing is done without Trump's approval.


"But Pecker said earlier on direct examination that he knew Trump to be on top of all matters of interest to him. That is probably how prosecutors will explain that Trump was involved in the 2016 Stormy Daniels payoff and that he purposely tried to hide it from voters by falsifying records.

“How would you describe [Trump] as a businessman?” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Pecker, who said he has known the former president since the late 1980s.

“Very knowledgeable,” Pecker said. “I would describe him as very detail-oriented, almost as a micromanager from what I saw.”

“He looked at all of the aspects of whatever the issue was,” Pecker added.'

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...er-testimony/#link-FLTRLO2AHRH6FN6ONEZXHS345U

 

They'll be the last to see it. They say the first step is the realization that there is a problem. God help this country if Trump wins the election. Some are in dire need of help now. I can't imagine the level of derangement if their "lawfare" doesn't work.

 

8 min ago
Trump and his attorney pass note to each other


Donald Trump and his attorney Todd Blanche just passed a note. Blanche put it in his pocket after Trump gave it back to him.



7 min ago
Prosecutors introduce AMI business records into evidence

Prosecutors Joshua Steinglass just handed a court security officer a thumb drive to bring to David Pecker. He is about to introduce a bunch of business records from AMI, the National Enquirer's parent company, into evidence.



7 min ago
Prosecutor continues his line of questioning

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is now continuing his questioning of David Pecker.

He's beginning by asking Pecker if he had access to the business records of AMI, the National Enquirer's parent company.'


cont
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-04-23-24#h_064cfb0fa4e8d33978e58a7749612dcc

 

2 min ago
Trump thumbs through papers in court


Donald Trump again thumbed through the papers in front of him as prosecutors tee up records to submit them into evidence.

David Pecker, meanwhile, sipped water from a glass while on the witness stand.'


cont
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-04-23-24#h_064cfb0fa4e8d33978e58a7749612dcc

 

link
'Former tabloid publisher testifies manufacturing fake story about Ted Cruz's father and JFK assassin'


Yuki Iwamura / Getty Images
LIVE

• Just now1m ago
  Trump sitting alone during bench conference
• Just now7m ago
  Analysis: Steinglass using Pecker to expand evidence
• Just now21m ago
  Analysis: DA's office finally identifies what they allege was the underlying crime

 

22m ago / 12:48 PM EDT
Analysis: DA's office finally identifies what they allege was the underlying crime

Lisa Rubin

The defense is objecting to Steinglass asking about Bannon's requests on hearsay grounds, arguing that they have had no notice that Bannon was considered a co-conspirator.

Steinglass’ response includes an important point: Bannon's requests to Pecker are relevant to the “primary” underlying crime that Trump was trying to commit or conceal under New York Election Law 17-152.

Bragg's office has not identified with any precision what the crime is that Trump allegedly intended to commit or conceal. Through this sidebar about an evidentiary objection, Steinglass has now admitted that New York Election Law 17-152, which prohibits conspiracies to promote the election of a specific candidate through unlawful means, is that “primary” predicate.

Predicate
predicate vt

-cat·ed
-cat·ing
: to set or ground on something
: find a basis for usually used with on [if Mary's claim is predicated simply on John's duty of support "W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al."]
[pre-di-kət] adj : relating to or being any of a series of criminal acts upon which prosecution for racketeering may be predicated [a act] [a crime]

 

It's been brought up, but it's not the strongest angle for the prosecution. The combination of falsifying business records with this New York state law: § 17-152. Conspiracy to promote or prevent election. Any two or more
persons who conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to
a public office by unlawful means and which conspiracy is acted upon by
one or more of the parties thereto, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

NYS Open Legislation | NYSenate.gov

would be the hardest thing to defend against. It's not very hard to support that he falsified business records to influence the election. Since falsifying business records is a crime, and using crimes to influence an election is a crime, the falsifying business records is elevated to a felony.

 

That's been known on justsecurity for over a year I think. Or I should say, it was on a short list and was clearly the easiest to prove.

Here's me citing it about a year ago, and this was after I read about it on justsecurity:

 

The 34 felonies'

'New York Consolidated Laws, Penal Law - PEN § 175.10 Falsifying business records in the first degree'
Current as of January 01, 2021 | Updated by FindLaw Staff

'A person is guilty of falsifying business records in the first degree when he commits the crime of falsifying business records in the second degree, and when his intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof.

Falsifying business records in the first degree is a class E felony.'


Donald-J.-Trump-Indictment.pdf

Manhattan District Attorney's Office
https://manhattanda.org › uploads › 2023/04 › D...

PDF
THE GRAND JURY OF THE COUNTY OF NEW YORK, by this indictment, accuses the defendant of the crime of FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS IN THE FIRST. DEGREE, in ...
16 pages



'An "A" misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree, New York Penal Law 175.05, is a crime that usually involves the destruction or alteration of a business record.

Second Degree Falsifying Business Records: NY PL 175.05

new-york-lawyers.org
https://www.new-york-lawyers.org › second-degree-falsi...

Last edited: Sunday at 2:11 PM