DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Trump hush Money Trial Set to start On April 15th.

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/live-updates/michael-cohen-trump-trial-day-4/

Wild day in court. Cohen admitted to stealing money from Trump Organization. Something like 30k. This after being caught in a lie last week.

Costello testified and was admonished by the judge. Judge got so mad he cleared the courtroom. Depending on who you listen to Costello was out of line or the judge just came unhinged.

My feelings haven’t changed on this trial. It is a complete waste of time and is politically motivated. No way a guilty verdict will ever stand up, if they can even get one. Briggs bringing in someone from Justice hasn’t helped the optics either. Trump has been spouting that this is being done by Biden and using the former Justice lawyer as proof. Trump followers are eating this up even though there isn’t any proof.

It has shown again how shady Trump’s inner circle was. Cohen wasn’t brought to Washington to be part of the administration (probably the only good decision Trump made) even though Cohen campaigned for it. With all the low lifes Trump surrounds himself with it boggles the mind how people think Trump is virtuous.

Cohen got shredded again.

The judge should have thrown out all charges or at least allowed the defense to bring on a rebuttal witness to actually testify

No way this will stand, but that isn't the goal. It's a smear campaign.

I do agree the inside gears of the Trump org. are questionable, but none of the others were much better. Some worse.

I don't think so. I think the judge is doing everything he can to act as 2nd chair for the prosecution.

Let's be honest Peen, If Trump took a dump in a MAGA hat in the middle of the church he doesn't attend, you'd defend him!

Eww boy the koolaid is strong with you.

trump surrounded himself with unscrupulous, unlawful people, Hires hit man lawyers that will do anything for him. Yeah Trump is innocent here. ok bro

Btw… Costello got shredded. And DJT broke the gag order again. Not a very smart move by the defense to put him on the stand. He ruined everything the defense had done with Cohen.

Peen world bring a knife and fork.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Cohen is a complete scumbag. I'm not sure how much the prosecution vetted him as a witness in terms of the questions he would be asked by the defense and where his vulnerabilities would lie, but it goes again to my earlier point that his impeachment could go a long way in undermining the prosecution's case. That being said, I am only gathering bits and pieces, so I am not sure how vital his testimony is to the prosecution's claim. I imagine it's pretty vital.

From what I understand, Costello would be out of line, but only from the reports I've read. I think the judge admonished him for requesting something be stricken from the record, which a witness obviously cannot do. Apparently there was also a stare-down among other utterances. Given the "quality" of the witnesses, both defense and prosecutorial, I would not be surprised if the guy deserved to be admonished.

Where we differ is the trial itself. I have been hoping for a long time that politicians could be pulled from their ivory towers to face real consequences like the rest of us. If he's guilty, I hope he gets the hammer. Same with Menendez and just about every other big wig inside the beltway.

Agree on Trump's inner circle. Talk about red flags. I used to think the inner circles of other presidents were bad, but you can't beat the likes of Bannon, Manafort, Cohen, Flynn, Giuliani, etc. The list doesn't end there either. It's completely in a league of its own, with the indictments and convictions to prove it. I suppose statements like that, though, are why I get branded a "libtard" or "as far left as they come" though

I believe you are thinking to much and not paying attention to what actually happened.....

Judge in Trump’s hush money trial threatened to remove witness from court for behavior on stand

The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money trial cleared the courtroom of reporters Monday and then threatened to remove the defense’s witness from the trial altogether because of his behavior on the stand, which included making comments under his breath and rolling his eyes, a court transcript showed.

Judge Juan M. Merchan told Robert Costello, a former federal prosecutor, that his conduct during testimony was contemptuous. Costello aggravated Merchan repeatedly in part by continuing to speak after objections were sustained — a signal to witnesses to stop talking. At one point, Costello remarked “jeez” when he was cut off by an objection. He also called the whole exercise “ridiculous.”

But the most tense moments happened with Costello on the witness stand. Merchan first sent the jury out of the courtroom to discuss proper decorum. He chided Costello for remarking “jeez” when he was cut off by a sustained objection and, at another point, “strike it.” Merchan told him: “I’m the only one that can strike testimony in the courtroom. Do you understand that?”

“And then if you don’t like my ruling, you don’t give me side eye and you don’t roll your eyes.”

Merchan was about to bring the jury back in when he asked Costello, “Are you staring me down right now?” and then kicked out the press to further admonish him.

“I’m putting you on notice that your conduct is contemptuous,” Merchan said, according to the transcript of the conversation that occurred when the press was out of the room. ”If you try to stare me down one more time, I will remove you from the stand.”

https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-michael-cohen-363a86879b97d2367831b1392f42689d

As we've seen all too often, saying and acting like an idiot outside the courtroom has become quite accepted in society. It's still not accepted inside the courtroom nor should it be.

Defense has rested its case. Trump said he was going to testify.
I must have missed that.
What did he say?

I've never heard trump say he was going to testify. I did hear him say he was willing to testify. While some may try to make that sound like the same thing, it isn't.

Trump says he would 'absolutely' testify in his New York criminal trial
Jury selection in the former president's hush money case begins Monday.
April 12, 2024, 5:51 PM EDT / Updated April 12, 2024, 6:07 PM EDT

Trump says he will testify at New York hush money trial


PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former President Donald Trump told reporters Friday he would "absolutely" testify in his upcoming hush money trial that is set to begin on Monday.

"Yeah, I would testify, absolutely," he said in response to a question from NBC News.

Trump, who is charged with 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records, repeatedly called the trial a "scam" during his press conference at Mar-a-Lago.

Jury selection in the trial, which is expected to last six to eight weeks, begins Monday.

"I'm testifying. I tell the truth, I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there is no case," Trump said.


Trump is not required to testify in his own criminal trial. If he chooses to do so, he would be subject to cross-examination by the prosecution, when he could be quizzed on myriad topics while under oath — including the nature of his relationship with porn star Stormy Daniels.During the damages trial in the E. Jean Carroll civil case, Trump opted to take the stand, but the judge in that case greatly limited what he was permitted to say.

On Friday, the judge in the case denied Trump's bid to delay the trial on the grounds of too much pretrial publicity.

Trump is the first former president to stand trial in a criminal case. He is required to be in court every day the court is in session to participate in his defense, which will significantly restrict the amount of time he can spend campaigning for president.Trump held his press conference Friday with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., where they announced their support for legislation that would prevent noncitizens from voting — a practice that is already illegal, and incredibly rare.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/do...stify-new-york-criminal-trial-rcna147663

Will Trump testify? What he says and why it’s a risky bet

Zachary B. Wolf
Analysis by Zachary B. Wolf, CNN
5 minute read
Updated 7:25 PM EDT, Mon April 22, 2024



Ex-Nixon White House counsel on what Trump would likely have to address if he takes the stand
01:55 - Source: CNN
A version of this story appeared in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.

CNN
—
Prosecutors and defense lawyers for former President Donald Trump opened the New York criminal trial on Monday by laying out their opposing sides of the case.

It’s clear that a main point of contention will be what occurred at a pivotal August 2015 meeting between Trump, his former fixer Michael Cohen and the former publisher of the National Enquirer David Pecker at which they are said to have agreed to find and suppress negative stories that could affect Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Cohen and Pecker would go on to facilitate hush money payments that benefitted Trump. The crime Trump is accused of committing is falsifying documents to hide those payments after he became president. Cohen went to prison after pleading guilty to violating campaign finance law. Pecker has cooperated with authorities.

Cohen and Pecker, both now split from Trump, will be key witnesses for the prosecution, and they are expected to detail what they say occurred at this meeting where they conspired to find and kill stories unflattering to Trump.



Smerconish: Will Trump testify?
05:29 - Source: CNN
An open question will be whether the third person in that meeting, Trump, will take the stand in his own defense to give his side of the story.

While he is under no obligation to testify, Trump has promised he will. Asked by a reporter at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month before the start of jury selection if it would be risky for him to take the stand, here’s what he said:

“I don’t know, I’m testifying. I tell the truth. I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there’s no case, they have no case,” Trump said.

Last week, Trump told reporters outside the courtroom that he wants to testify.

But taking the stand could lead to Trump, under oath, being asked some very uncomfortable questions.

What prosecutors can and cannot ask Trump if he testifies
Judge Juan Merchan, in a ruling about the scope of what Trump could be asked, took an expansive attitude, as CNN’s reporters in the courtroom, Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle and Jeremy Herb, note.

They add in their real-time courtroom posts that prosecutors can cross-examine Trump on multiple legal setbacks in recent years:

► $464 million civil fraud verdict – Trump was found to fraudulently inflate the value of his properties.

► Gag order violations – These were committed during the civil fraud trial for which Trump was fined $15,000.

► Defamation and sexual abuse liability – Juries in federal courts found that Trump defamed former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll when he denied her rape allegations. Trump was ordered to pay $83.3 million.

► His failed foundation – Trump reached a settlement with the New York attorney general that led to the dissolution of his namesake foundation.

Merchan ruled prosecutors could not ask Trump, if he testifies, about his lawsuit against Hillary Clinton that a judge said was frivolous or the 2022 Trump Organization tax fraud conviction against his company.

In a CNN Opinion piece, Joey Jackson, a CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney, described what kind of defense he expects from Trump’s team during the trial. Jackson argued that no matter what Trump says, whether he testifies “will likely be a game time decision.”

When CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Will Scharf, one of Trump’s attorneys, if he believes Trump should testify, Scharf also said that decision should be based on “how the trial proceeds.”

“I have said that I think President Trump will be a compelling witness if he does testify, because at the end of the day, he did nothing wrong,” Scharf said.

When juries and a judge have seen Trump testify, he lost
The first Carroll trial jury in 2023 was played a videotape of Trump’s deposition by lawyers. At one point in that testimony, Trump mistook a photo of Carroll for his ex-wife Marla Maples. Read more about key moments from the video.

Trump briefly took the stand in separate defamation proceedings in January 2024.



Trump, in sworn deposition, discusses business losses
03:17 - Source: CNN
At his civil fraud trial in 2023, there was no jury, but Trump did take the stand during the proceedings. He brought a bombastic and combative style that drew rebukes from the judge in the case, Arthur Engoron, who later ordered Trump to pay a $355 million penalty.

Trump has already talked about the case
Even if he doesn’t testify under oath in the New York criminal trial, Trump has already said quite a bit about the case – comments that could presumably be brought into evidence. During comments outside the courtroom last week, he tried to explain the payments reimbursing Cohen for the payment to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

“I was paying a lawyer and we marked it down as a legal expense,” Trump said. “Some accountant I didn’t know marked it down as a legal expense. That’s exactly what it was, and you get indicted over that?”

In a series of tweets in May 2018, before Cohen’s ultimate guilty plea, Trump admitted to paying Cohen and said that money was a “reimbursement.”

Here are those Trump tweets all together:

Mr. Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA. These agreements are…..

…very common among celebrities and people of wealth. In this case it is in full force and effect and will be used in Arbitration for damages against Ms. Clifford (Daniels). The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair,……

…despite already having signed a detailed letter admitting that there was no affair. Prior to its violation by Ms. Clifford and her attorney, this was a private agreement. Money from the campaign, or campaign contributions, played no roll in this transaction.

Prosecutors also told jurors they will hear recordings Cohen made of conversations in which he and Trump discuss the payments.

Not a hush money case, but an election interference case
One other key thing to note out of the prosecution’s opening statement is that they want to portray this case as an election interference case rather than a hush money case.

“They’re reframing this,” CNN’s Paula Reid said of prosecutors. “Not just as a paperwork crime and an effort to cover up this hush money payment by falsifying business records, but as an effort to interfere in the 2016 election.”

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/22/politics/will-trump-testify-trial-what-matters/index.html

Multiple sources quote him saying "I’m testifying"

Next week closing arguments. 12 people will decide.

I would like to believe in our legal system. And really I have no choice. It is not always correct. Hopefully the jury will have listened closely and will do the right thing.

Of course if trump loses he will not accept it and will appeal which is his right. Then it goes into limbo.

The document case is cold. He is guilty and has no defense. Except he has his stooge judge Cannon. Clearly an inexperienced unqualified person who is in way over her head and qualifications.

IMO we as citizens have the right to know if trump will be held accountable for Jan 6th. The trump cool aide drinkers and GOP hypocrites cannot downplay what happened.

The election was not stolen. What took place at the capital was Not a tourist attraction. People died and it was taped for all to see. Those convicted and who are now in prison deserve to be there. They are Not political hostages. They are convicted criminals.

All I can do is hope that justice matters.

You'll notice that Peen isn't saying anything about Aileen Cannon! Or for that matter, Alito or Thomas.

This goes on for quite a few posts. I figured Peen and Dawglover might be interested in the whole thread.

I goofed something up and the first five or so posts don’t show up. Just click on this one and scroll up

Thanks P. There’s a ton to unpack in that thread. I think I have a lot of questions. One being: what were the jury instructions? If there is too much of a deviation from established precedent, that should make the issue(s) readily appealable. I don’t know too many first-level judges that would deviate to the point of something easily appealable, but again, I have no idea. That thread was like drinking from a firehouse. I need to get my head wrapped around it.

Thanks for sending.

trump, "I wish I could have testified."

Let's be clear. It was his choice not to testify.

I hadn't seen this statement...... "I'm testifying. I tell the truth, I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there is no case," Trump said.

Thanks.

And if you're going to consider this source you may wish to see the type of things he promotes for context.....

Pfft trump . Like he’d absolutely release his tax returns. But you know being audited and all.

Trump surrounded himself with creeps and strong arms to do his dirty work and now he expects everyone to believe that he is clean of any wrong doings. That [censored] don’t fly anymore.

That is one thing that irks me. Even from an originalist paradigm, one would have to think the framers did not intend or contemplate a president ever pardoning himself.

If the "framers" were witnesses to Jan 6th.

trump would have been hung for treason or exiled at the least.

Add the documents case there is not a citizen of this country that would not be in jail with the way Mar-a-Lago went down.

I have tried to explain on different topics how as wise as our forefathers were, even they lacked the ability to see hundreds of years into the future. But the purists wish to ignore all of that to suit their agenda. Yet technology, medicine and even the depth that our nations leaders would stoop to could not have been envisioned when our forefathers wrote the constitution. For some reason those who wish to have decided that the entire world can change with only a single document remaining absolute.

NOPE. Far lefties worry about saving animals, planet, tress, etc. The ANTIFA movement was in response to the right’s blatant fascism. But no violent groups on the left are threatening civil war with plans to carry out a coup if they lose again. NONE. Trump and MAGA are the single biggest threat to this country period and there is no “but what about the left” that is even close to the right’s insanity. Good people need to quit excusing the MGT’s on the right and start calling them out for the traitorous trash that they are. The only way this goes away is a return to the normality of 2014-Pre Trump. All MAGA should be banned from government under the insurrection clause in the constitution! Anything less is just asking for more of this BS.

Trump is guilty. The recipes are in. Signed the checks. Instructed Cohen to take care of it. Cohen’s story hasn’t changed. Trump’s turn to do some time for his crimes.

Don't we need to figure out the actual crime first? Asking for a friend.

There are 34 criminal counts. Which one of those are you referring to? Asking for a friend.

Each criminal count is spelled out in the indictment. That should help answer your friends question.

If the framers were here, they would throw tea in the harbor with all of these socialists woke policies trying to be forced on all Americans.

Haha, I could see it now:

*Law is passed that allows gay marriage*

Thomas Jefferson reincarnated: Throws tea in harbor.

"That'll show 'em!"

Yeah, their crazy talk is never ending. What's so funny is nobody is their claim people are "throwing these woke policies" on them. Nobody is forcing them to get "gay married". Nobody is forcing their children to read certain books. Nobody is preventing them from following their religion or from going to church and believe whatever religion they choose. Yet they constantly scream how they're some kind of victim while trying to impose their beliefs into law and force them on everyone else. Then they call the liberals snowflakes.

Comey: Trump election interference case ‘much stronger than I imagined’
BY TARA SUTER - 05/23/24 10:37 AM ET


Former FBI Director James Comey weighed in on former President Trump’s criminal hush money case Wednesday, saying it was “much stronger” than he thought.

“I wasn’t sure that I would have [brought the case] when I read the indictment, but now having seen the case, I’m not sure — after investigating it — how they wouldn’t bring it,” Comey told NewsNation’s Dan Abrams on Wednesday. “They had a much stronger case than I imagined.”


The former Trump official, who was removed from his post in 2017, also suggested there is an “overwhelming chance” his former boss would be convicted in the case.

“There’s an overwhelming chance of a conviction, a significant but much smaller chance of a hung jury and zero chance of an acquittal,” Comey said.

The Manhattan trial, the first criminal trial of a sitting or former president, began to wrap up earlier this week, as both sides rested their case Tuesday. Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, scheduled closing arguments for next week, and the jury deliberations will follow.

The former president is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in relation to reimbursements to his former fixer, Michael Cohen, who paid an adult film actor $130,000 prior to the 2016 election to keep quiet about an alleged affair she had with Trump in 2006, which he has denied.

Comey also criticized Trump in an interview on MSNBC on Tuesday, claiming he thinks the former president is “coming for” the FBI and the Justice Department if he returns to the White House.

“Serious for the Justice Department and the FBI, because Trump is coming for those institutions. He knows their power, and I think he has regrets that he didn’t work hard enough to corrupt them last time,” the former FBI official said. “So, he’s coming for them, and that’s a danger for all Americans.”


“He’s going to put people in positions in those organizations. He didn’t have all-stars the last time. He’ll have the bottom of the barrel this time, but people who will want to do his will — and that should worry every American,” he added. “This election matters because of a reason like that.”

https://thehill.com/regulation/cour...ald-trump-on-election-interference-case/

I just watched the Comey thing on either Netflix or Hulu (it's a dramatization of the Hillary-email thing that then kinda ran into the Trump-Russia thing).

The series is a dramatization and while the creators are clearly not Trump fans, I feel like it's a pretty fair retelling of the situation (at least as fair as I think we're going to get given how contentious that whole thing was).

One thing I realized while watching it was that we have forgotten more Trump gaffes than most politicians accumulate during their entire career. This dude's political career has been a 3-ring circus from 'go', featuring him as the clown running/MC'ing the performance.

Ask your friend if he’s serious. Cohen went to jail for some of trumps crimes in this case. A monkey could figure this out.

Yup...and he still has a chance at getting elected.

That is what is the most disappointing part.

When looking at trump through all his actions and lies that so many blindly follow him is depressing.

Depressing on one hand and unbelievable on the other. In the time that I was legal to vote and now. trump is the most unqualified and unfit candidate I have been witness to. He is flat out a corrupt career criminal.

Funny, I think the friend is you!

If you wanna look at the crimes, Try this.,

The man stole secret docs and hid them at his home in florida. There really isn't any question about that. Now, before you say, hey, so did Joe Biden. Sure,, he did. Now, how did Joe handle it (or Mike Pence for that matter), Joe said, holy crap, I'll sit for as long as you want to be interviewed. At the end of that interview, he was found not guilty.

Trump tried to hide his crime. Just like always, Trump ran and hid.

Let's look at another crime... Georgia. He's on tape with witnesses trying to the guys down there to change vote counts. He was Breaking the law that day with that attempt.

I recognize that you and some others think he can do no wrong, but the evidence says otherwise.

It's always been evident that the elevator doesn't go to the top floor. But this isn't even that -- this floor is about the hush money case -- and you're blathering nonsense that has nothing to do with that.

Thanks for the non-stop entertainment though.