Trump has announced he has been indicted in the documents case.
Several Trump advisers confirmed the charges. Trump said he has been summoned to appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday at 3 p.m. A seven-count indictment has been filed in federal court naming the former president as a criminal defendant, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a case that has yet to be unsealed.
MSNBC has a chryon saying “NBC news confirms Trump Indicment.”
Okay … I know you want it …
We know very little else because the indictment is still sealed.
And Pat Robertson died. A twofer.
HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!!
HUZZAH!!!!!
HURRAH!!!!!
YAY!!!!!
LOCK HIM UP!!!!!
THROW AWAY THE KEY!!!!!
I haven't been this happy since Obama was first elected!!!!!
Actually, let me amend that:
I haven't been this happy since Biden defeated this scum-bucket!!!!!
And best of all?
More indictments to come!!!!!
Only negative is that the venue is Florida. As part of my learn-by-news events on-going legal training, if a prosecutor chooses the wrong venue, the case can't be tried – you only get one shot to get the venue right. Hopefully Aileen Cannon's been so tarnished, she won't be the judge. But good news nonetheless.
There was an Extreme Court ruling this week that relates to venue. A lower court ruled that a trial had been held in the wrong venue because it was not where the crime occurred. The Extremes ruled that the criminal could not be retried.
Jack Smith is trying the documents case where venue can NOT be challenged – although… IF The Donald wants a jury of his peers, he might request a change of venue to NYC where it is much easier to just go to Wall Street to find 12 egocentric self-centered sociopaths.
Manhattan is the absolute last place Trump would want to be tried. Manhattanites have always considered Trump a boorish social climber and all-around crook. He's a laughingstock to them.
According to ABC news Cannon has been assigned the case, unbelievable?
https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-aileen-cannon-trump-appointee-initially-assigned-oversee/story?id=99956910
Regarding Pat Robertson, two quotes come to mind…
"I was taught as a child that if you have nothing good to say about the deceased, remain silent. Pat Robertson is dead – good."
"I did not attend the funeral, but I read the obituary with satisfaction."
I do hope that Jack Smith has lots of evidence that The Donald showed documents to others and includes a charge under the Espionage Act accordingly.
Here's my additional $0.02's worth.
Btw: This indictment is for obstruction in the documents case.
This indictment now takes the heat off Smith on the January 6th case, allowing him to do the thorough investigation needed to make sure tRUMP is put away for treason for the remainder if his miserable years.
And now GA AG Fani Willis can now bring her case up, with less pressure on her.
And as for the NY case, well, that can be a cherry on top of tRUMP's indictment shite-sundae!
Harry Litman on venue. The risk of a wrong venue choice is that the case can be overturned on appeal (it’s happened), and can’t be retried due to double jeopardy.
One more time, Harry Litman link.
Limited news, but fantastic.
The public defense seems to be the courtroom defense if you rely on the letter that Trump's lawyers sent to Merrick Garland a couple of weeks ago. I quote:
“No President of the United States has ever, in the history of our country, been baselessly investigated in such an outrageous and unlawful fashion.”
This was/is the legal argument by Trump's defense team to the Attorney General of the United States. "baseless", "outrageous", and "unlawful." The basis was established by the search which turned up classified documents after Trump declared in writing to DOJ that all classified materials had been turned in. The "outrage" is Trump putting national security at risk. No one from Team Trump has asserted with any specificity any example of DOJ breaking the law in the attempt to retrieve important US property from a private citizen.
Trump tries to spin a defense that "everybody does it" but only King Trump is prosecuted. I'm skeptical that a judge will even allow the defense to be formulated in his/her courtroom. I say this because my attorneys were confident that the people I wanted as witnesses (One a Harvard law teacher and author) would not have been allowed. Facts about the motive for my flight would not have been allowed. The judge and the prosecutor were ONLY going to allow facts and testimony directly linked to the crimes I was accused of.
Biden's possession of documents – Pence's possession of documents – the false allegations about Obama having records in Chicago (they are in Chicago under control of National Archives) probably won't be allowed. Trump's statements admitting he moved boxes of documents, though not under oath, will be allowed. The lawyer's notes about Trump's intent to deceive National Archives and DOJ WILL be allowed. (This is a guess but no major leap. The judge killed the attorney's privilege because there was strong evidence of a crime being planned. If there was no evidence of a crime in progress, there would have been no basis to invalidate privilege.)
I'm hearing "conspiracy to…" That may be the reason to take it to Florida. The crime of "conspiracy" may have been committed only in FL. I'd feel better if the jury was from DC but overall, I think the jury system will work. Either Trump will be convicted or if the jury is hung, it will be retried. I'd bet big money that Trump will be convicted, even in FL. If you think you have to shop for a favorable jurisdiction for a just outcome, either your case is weak or your faith in the jury system is.
Will DOJ demand Trump's passport? What other pre-trial restrictions? (I was under house arrest for the first month. After house arrest was relaxed, the judge thought I was under a two-county restriction. Actually, pre-trial services allowed me to travel in the center of FL, a 600-mile stretch.) Once this goes to trial, Trump is an extreme flight risk.
If you are counting, it's 516 days until the '24 election.
"A twofer."
Well played.
Never have I had less empathy for an indited individual. Never have I seen the justice system stretched to its limits trying to cut a deal or to get an acceptable fix done. Trump had so many outs and took none of them.
It is hard not to suspect the investigation has found evidence so grave there was no choice but to indite. We may never know this evidence, but the very fact that he was indited suggests the government had serious reasons to do what has never been done before. This is a serious precedent. To do it for the first time supports the notion that the government had run out of other options and really had no other choice in this matter. It also knew Trump's method of operation, they themselves would be under attack. Again, the government has every reason not to indite. That it did makes one wonder how bad the truth of it all may be. Would anyone be really that surprised what a person who apparently tried to orchestrate a coup be involved in? By now one should not be.