Live Updates: Prosecutors Say Trump’s Attacks Are Threat to Trial

During jury duty, we got all sorts of shit for even whispering which court room we are going to. We were all numbers and even addressed ourselves as a number. And we were threatened repeatedly with fines and prison sentences.

This motherfucker gets to say whatever the fuck he wants and gets a bunch of verbal warnings and finger wagging.

This is why we lose trust in various govt systems

It's not just the special treatment. It's the fact that he's gonna turn around and say he's the one being treated poorly, and a good chunk of the population will agree, in spite of the plain evidence.
- "I'm being treated.. worse than Jesus!"
And no judge has the balls to hold him in contempt like he's not a man facing felony charges.
- I think him putting in the "I'm immune to criminal charges" argument into the courts hands has actually given him temporary immunity until it's decided. It's BS

Maggie Haberman writes:

Todd Blanche [Trump's lawyer] says Trump is entitled to complain about “two systems of justice.” “There’s two systems of justice in this courtroom? That’s what you’re saying?” Justice Merchan says.

I mean, there are two systems of justice in this country, and he's always been part of the better one. If he wants to see what the rest of us would have to go though, by all means, let's try him under that system of justice.

Yeah. If a non-billionaire (allegedly) tweeted out barely-veiled threats to jurors and witnesses and the judge's family that causes their friends to send death threats, you'd be in prison after you violated the gag order. Maybe not even get a gag order: just also charged with tampering.
- I would literally just be held in contempt without bond if I was threatening a judge and their family.

So far this morning, it's all about the prosecution pushing for Contempt charges.

Justice Merchan has repeatedly pushed Todd Blanche to clarify his arguments, only to have Blanche deny that he is saying what he seems to be saying. Trump is very lucky that the jurors are not here for this. Merchan is really dressing down Blanche right now.

Blanche is Trump's lawyer (for those who didn't know)

As Blanche insists Trump is trying to follow with the rules, Merchan interrupts him. “You’re losing all credibility with the court,” he says.
- Ouch. When a judge has to tell a defense lawyer that, things are not going well for the defense.

Looking at the way this is going, I'm genuinely starting to wonder if Donald Trump ends up jailed for contempt sooner rather than later. It seems Merchan's patience has been exhausted.

"Prosecutor Christopher Conroy has just said that prosecutors are not seeking jail time for Trump’s violations of the gag order.
We are not yet seeking incarceratory penalty. Defendant seems to be angling for that … We are asking the court to impose the maximum $1,000 fine for each violation."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/apr/23/trump-hush-money-trial-new-york-updates
"Defendant seems to be angling for that" ... so? Why are they taking into consideration what Trump wants? Just treat him like you would a black guy in Texas caught with a little weed.
- Because if Trump can get them to act emotionally his lawyers can argue that this is a witch hunt.
  They have to go through this painstaking process. If the don't they embolden his base and suddenly those definitely-not-calls-to-action are much more threatening.
- Now why would they shoot Trump five times in the back while he lays on the ground unarmed?
Nah, he'll get another paltry $5k fine that is unlikely to ever be paid.
- Iirc NY law puts a $1000 cap on fines for contempt in criminal cases.
  So the slap on the wrist will be even gentler than that.
  If it happens at all.
The prosecution made a point of not asking for any jail time in this hearing, but rather a warning that future violations will escalate to that. I don't think the Judge really wants to jail Trump while the trial is ongoing. Trump will get a hefty fine as well as that warning. Well see how long it takes for Trump to end up in Rikers.
- But why, though? Trump doesn't give a fuck about fines; time spent in jail is the only thing that has any chance of getting through to him because his wealth/grift can't solve it for him.
  I'm willing to bet even just sending him to the holding cells in the couthouse for a couple hours each time he makes another out-of-order outburst would shut him up real quick.
If he wants to complain about 2 justice systems, I think that'd qualify as "fucking around and finding out."
I can't imagine anything that would bring Americans at large greater joy.
You think he'll try to force a mistrial somehow?
- I mean, of course he's going to try to force a mistrial. It's not like he has a chance in hell of being found not guilty.
He wants to be jailed for contempt. The jail time for contempt ends before the election. All he has to do is sit in a cell/ home arrest and do nothing and his poll numbers will skyrocket. Most likely there is one or more republicans on the jury that will hung jury the actual verdict. Trump will walk out of prison with 11 to 1 voting to convict and go around saying "The jury found me innocent! The only reason I went to jail was because the judge is a liberal who abuses his power."
- Wrong. The longer trump sits in jail the less bullshit he can spew the less appearances he can make and the more guilty he looks.
He will be given more chances and concessions, there will never be an actual consequence.
- I disagree. Now that there is an actual trial he hasn't been able to wiggle out of, I think he's... well, I think he's kinda fucked.

At least we know the origin of fake news, it's the orange man himself.

Always was.

Jeebus... Pecker would send Cohen articles before they were published so he could vet them. That's absolutely bananas.

Is it? That bit seems the least outlandish, I'd guess that happens regularly to people in power and/or with a litigious streak.

when jail?

Two possibilities:
The judge finds him guilty of contempt and orders a short jail term as punishment. Could happen any time now that he's heard arguments, but the prosecution didn't request it, so a $1000 fine is much more likely unless he keeps on violating the gag order.
The jury convicts him, and he's then sentenced to a significant term. This won't happen until the trial is over, several weeks hence
- Reality number 1: He avoids all responsibility. Avoids all punishment.
  He has so far had a 100% success rate in avoiding jail time or any consequences. I hate the guy and wish that hell was real (I'll even go there too if it meant these kinds of people would) but I would never in a billion years bet against him avoiding punishment.
- They should just gag him during trial and only take it out if he needs to answer. Then sell the drawings to the highest bidder.
  Maybe gag him out of court as well, and take his phones and computers. And spank him a little.

I was curious about a specific term:

"In a pivotal stretch of testimony, David Pecker, the longtime publisher of The National Enquirer, described a 2015 meeting with Mr. Trump and his fixer at the time, Michael D. Cohen, at Mr. Trump’s midtown Manhattan headquarters.

Fixer
Noun
2. A person who uses influence or makes arrangements for another, especially by improper or unlawful means.

This is a bit circular as an explanation, but that’s actually what Cohen did for Trump.
Trump has referred to Cohen as a lawyer that helped him deal with things, and Cohen has fully admitted that he acted as a traditional fixer for Trump for years.
So.. yeah. The definition is spot on.
- My point being that one doesn't need a fixer, unless one does illegal things. Can we not have criminals in places of power? Soonish?

Holy shit, I wish I could be watching this live. It looks like the prosecution brought all the receipts, including ones I never even knew existed. Pecker attended Trump's candidacy announcement in 2015, invited personally by Cohen, and the prosecution have the email to prove it.

That in itself isn't illegal, of course, but it completely undercuts any future attempt by the defense to argue that Pecker and Trump weren't close.

"Pecker? He was just the Chai Walla. I never even knew his name." More popcorn please.
How many coffees did Mr. Pecker fetch for Mr. Trump?

But it's him so the rules don't apply.

Seeing the latest updates, it appears David Pecker is actively throwing Trump under the bus. The increase in the level of communication between Pecker, Cohen, and Trump once Trump announced his candidacy is going to be really hard for the defense to explain away.

Things are getting spicy again. Pecker knows Karen McDougal.

Another hushed Playboy Playmate, for those who don't know.

And now we've got a meeting in Trump Tower in August, with Hope Hicks present.