Trump's Defense Rests

His legal team figures he's way ahead on points.

I know that the jury of curated ultra-partisans will probably convict anyway, but if the jury is rigged, then Trump's testimony would not help anyway.

Does this mean Trump is finally permitted to campaign for president? Or is this c***sucker judge going to insist he remain in court for every day the jury deliberates?

That can't be the case. Can it?

Update: Unbelievable. The crooked judge gave the jurors a week off, then they'll reconvene to hear opening arguments. Only after that will they begin to deliberate.

This guy really wants Trump locked in his court scheduling, huh?

Jonathan Turley blasts the corrupt partisan "hand-picked" judge Merchan.

First he goes through the perjuries and uncharged grand larcenies of Michael Cohen.

And the fact that he says he might run for Congress. He actually said that. He's got a whole Carlos Danger career plan mapped out.

Then he turns to the judge helping his daughter collect money.

Merchan has not given any indication that he is seriously considering a directed verdict, which he should clearly grant before this goes to the jury.

Merchan's rulings have largely favored the prosecution, including some rulings that left some of us mystified.

Judge Merchan continues to allow the jury to hear references to campaign-finance violations that do not exist.

After gutting any use of a legal expert to testify on the absence of any such violations, the judge allowed the jury to hear Michael Cohen state that the payments to Stormy Daniels were clearly campaign violations.

All that Merchan would offer is a weak instruction telling jurors not to take such statements as proof of a violation.

The alleged campaign-finance violations allowed Cohen to try to implicate Trump. However, it is doubtful that Trump could have been convicted on such a charge in any other venue.

...

Indeed, after reviewing the Trump payments, not only did the Justice Department decline any charges but the Federal Election Commission did not even seek a civil fine.

On Monday, Judge Merchan's orders became even more inexplicable when Cohen's former attorney Robert Costello took the stand.

Merchan immediately started to sustain a flurry of prosecutors' objections as Costello basically accused Cohen of multiple acts of perjury.

At one point, Costello -- one of the most experienced lawyers in New York and a former prosecutor -- exclaimed that one of the judge's rulings was "ridiculous."

The judge chastised Costello and even challenged him: "Are you staring me down?"

In fact, it was hard not to stare. What is happening in the courtroom of Judge Juan Merchan is anything but ordinary.

posted by Disinformation Expert Ace at 01:30 PM

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