Justice Juan Merchan: This trial is starting.

[ancianita]

Justice Juan Merchan expressed frustration with Trump’s legal tactics Friday afternoon, scolding the former president and his lawyers for what Merchan described as repeatedly questioning his rulings.

“At this point, what’s happened is defense is literally targeting individual decisions one by one by one by one,” Merchan said. “That has to end, OK? There comes a point where you accept my rulings.”

He continued: “I've entertained your motions, I've entertained your arguments ... there’s nothing else to clarify. There’s nothing else to argue.”

Merchan concluded his rebuke by telling the lawyers, “We’re going to have opening statements on Monday morning. This trial is starting.”

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/04/19/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial/done-for-the-day-00153445

[anciano]

1. Excellent! Like it 👍

[Mark.b2]

6. Moving right along! Need more judges like Judge Merchan...

Has a goal in mind and damn well plans to meet it!

[3Hotdogs]

34. I disagree. I wish the judge would drag this out until November.

Keep his orange ass off the campaign trail.

[Layzeebeaver]

35. I hope this is scarasm.

[ancianita]

7. The justice is movin' on. Furthermore, he said

Justice Juan Merchan said again this afternoon that he would not require prosecutors to turn over their witness list to Trump’s legal team. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said he would tell Trump’s counsel the name of their first witness on Sunday, but if the identity of the witness is revealed on social media before Monday, “that will be the last time.”

Merchan sided with the prosecutors, noting a contempt hearing scheduled for next week in which prosecutors have accused Trump of repeatedly defying a gag order by posting verbal attacks on likely witnesses and others involved in the case.

“Under the circumstances, the people’s response is understandable,” Merchan said. In a tense exchange to end the day, Merchan directed Trump to “have a seat” when he stood up before the proceeding had ended.

Smokin'!

[Kid Berwyn]

14. No one's ass is above the law.

Including the traitorous moron who thinks he’s invisible to the law, which up to recent months has largely been fact.

Hearing he had to take seat means everything to democracy and the Constitution.

[pandr32]

2. I just felt a rush!

Could it be accountability is finally here?

[WarGamer]

4. Depends on 12 people... maybe.

[pandr32]

13. From New York!

This isn't happening in Florida or the Bible Belt.

[ancianita]

9. Yep.

Yes. We're in the accountability zone.

Can't wait to hear the prosecution's opener -- and laugh at the defense with MSNBC's lawyers -- on Monday.

[pandr32]

15. I'm with you!

I will be tuning in for sure.

[lindysalsagal]

3. Man's got cahones.

[Wonder Why]

5. Dancing in the streets! Cheers like it is New Years or the Fourth of July! Celebrations everywhere but MaggotVille!

clap: :

[MarineCombatEngineer]

8. Kudos to the Judge, he's done with Been-A-Dick Donalds attempt to derail this trial.

I truly hope he's got excellent security because some lunatic MAGAt might try to remove the Judge by any means necessary.

[ancianita]

10. Looks like NYPD, supposedly the best police dept on the planet, is on it.

A special NYPD detail and state court officers have now beefed up security for Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, as well as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and other court officials tied to Trump’s case, NBC News said in a report Wednesday.

https://nypost.com/2023/04/05/security-beefed-up-around-trump-judge-over-dozens-of-threats/

[MarineCombatEngineer]

11. Good to know.

Thank you for this info.

[Traurigkeit]

21. NYPD and it's "union" have way too many TSF lovers in them

[ancianita]

25. Fair point. It only takes one slip up by one of them. It's true their union endorsed Trump in 2020,

but at the same time I'm pretty sure that their police chief Caban (and his boss, Mayor Adams) will make sure there isn't even one slip up in security with all media and New York eyes on Manhattan right now. If there are crooked cops, and even if some insiders for Trump try for a maneuver, they're likely known, and wouldn't be put anywhere near this courthouse detail.

Makes one wonder, though, considering NYPD were on duty outside when that guy immolated himself. We'll see.

[sueh]

30. Been-A-Dick Donald, that's a good one!

[MarineCombatEngineer]

31. Thank you, I try.

Feel free to use it.

[Xavier Breath]

12. You bet your ass it is. n/t

[Wednesdays]

16. The last thing you want as a representing attorney is to piss off the judge.

It might not hurt your case, but it certainly won't help your case.

[barbtries]

17. this reminds me of the trial

for Darrell Brooks. the insanity of it all.

[ancianita]

18. It was insane. Can you imagine if we had the cameras the public had for the Brooks trial?

Last edited Fri Apr 19, 2024, 08:17 PM - Edit history (1)

One more histrionic slip-up and we'd see Judge Merchan have Trump marched to the cell at the back of the courtroom.

Bottom line, though, different guys, states, judges, and crimes. Just sayin'.

[barbtries]

27. for sure -

it's the general insanity of it all that made me recall the brooks trial.

i mean, just today it's reported that tsf was farting in the courtroom and it was a terrible stench, and a man set himself on fire outside.

[ShazzieB]

19. I somehow missed that trial at the time.

But I'm reading up on it right now, and holy guacamole,what a fruitcake!

[barbtries]

26. if you're up to it and interested,

i would recommend you look it up on youtube and watch some of it. not only did that man make the judge's life a living hell for the duration, but the prosecution laid out their case brilliantly. I like watching trials and you may not, but if ya do, this would be the one.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoW1SIeAWaWbdGT79m8WmhPJkw6cW-WMj

[ShazzieB]

29. Thanks for the link.

I may just watch some of this. I do like watching trials.

[TomSlick]

20. Ouch.

When the judge is tired of your BS objections, you run the risk that legitimate objections will be ignored.

This is bad lawyering. A lawyer's credibility with the judge is essential. Making BS motions and objections is counter productive.

[Traurigkeit]

22. The lawyers for TSF have lost their credibility

[ancianita]

23. Yah I hear you.

These lawyers, good as they might be, are forced by Merchan to re-examine the dilemma (they knew they signed on for) about getting paid for fighting the way their sick client wants, or being professionals. They're either going to control their client or look like bad lawyers, which the jury will not fail to notice.

[barbtries]

28. i always assume that tsf's lawyers

are doing it under duress. he absolutely must be the world's worst client. has to be

[ancianita]

37. That will show, and won't sit well with the jury, either.

[twodogsbarking]

24. Thanks for speaking out judge. Most don't. Trump intimidates.

[AllaN01Bear]

33. judge . dosent give a hoot, hoot. hoot.

[AllaN01Bear]

32. so there too.

/revision/latest?cb=20200414212124

[live love laugh]

36. They will use this to appeal.

[ancianita]

38. Sure, because they can.

But are you seeing some "reversible error" already?
Take into account that NY's appellate courts usually hang with its juries, and that Merchan is a New York Supreme Court justice.
I don't know how the Blanche team think they'll fare, but if it's to delay (obstruct) sentencing, they can't grind it out any longer than a month, I think.

[live love laugh]

41. I just think a blanket statement not to question the judge is dangerous

with Trump and his team. They’re searching for any tiny opening to throw the case.

[ancianita]

42. I see. But after this weeks proceedings, it wasn't a blanket statement. He explained how he'd dealt

with their arguments, motions and everything else even before, and during jury selection week, and it's now more than reasonable for them to get on with listening to the People of New York's case.

Criminal court trials are not locations for debate and/or democratic discourse. He is the JUDGE. He judiciously judges the legal teams. That's important. So I don't think this end of week statement is what's going to throw it.

Merchan is in the same class as Judges Engoron and Kaplan. He's not going to blow anything, and frankly the trmp team have proven that any tiny openings they have seen have resulted in nothing but the erosion of the court's atmosphere. Now that the jury of New York peers is seated, that behavior will taint both the defense lawyers and trump the criminal defendant. Not the judge.

[live love laugh]

45. Thanks for the enlightenment.

[Kid Berwyn]

39. What Politico took out with the ellipses...

"I've entertained your motions, I've entertained your arguments in good faith. At some point, you need to accept my motions," Judge Merchan said.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-04-19-24/h_3009d0fe8272e686f239c9a5a1a91774

[ancianita]

40. Weird that Politico only left out "in good faith." Thanks, Kid.

I've looked for a court transcript, can't find them. Now I know why:

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/free-the-trump-hush-money-trial-transcripts.html

In New Yor​​k — again, in a departure from the federal system and every other state — official rules state that transcripts of what gets said in court must be purchased from the court stenographers who have the job of recording, on a specialized keyboard, every word, action, and ruling in criminal cases.

These court personnel, whose base salaries top $100,000 in many cases, can charge as much as $4.75 a page for transcripts, with the record of a single day of trial easily totaling several hundred dollars — money that goes into the pocket of the employee, not the court.

And everyone who needs to see the transcripts — prosecutors, defense attorneys, members of the media, and even the court itself — has to buy transcripts from these workers, even though they are on the public payroll and get health benefits and pensions at public expense.

And media organizations are forbidden from jointly purchasing and then publishing the transcripts; each outlet must buy its own copy, and publication is prohibited.

[Kid Berwyn]

43. Thank you, ancianata!

No wonder it's so hard to find transcripts. The court transcribers deserve every penny they get. Theirs is an un-thanked but in no way easy task.

When it comes to the felony trials of former pee-resident putin mcpuppet, We the People need to know what is said -- often, every sick and sordid word.

Regarding the left-out part: I had not read his words anywhere. I heard them from an MSNBC show. I remembered Judge Merchan quoted as saying he listened, read and considered all the blah-blah from Team Traitor "in good faith." I also recalled that he had indicated his neutrality and willingness to hear what the defense brought up. When I saw the ellipses, I got cracking. They had left out the Judge's stated neutrality, an important indicator of his professionalism as a government servant.

[ancianita]

44. Pleasure, Kid. Great point about Merchan! About the transcripts...

Politico and MSNBC get them, but better than that, Politico lays out what it hears live each day of the trial, in case you're keeping up. They do live updates between 2 to 10 minutes apart. They might even be getting transcript material before other media, because I see a Politico logo on some MSNBC material that's sometimes shown.

Hit this link and you can get silent pop up notifications as the trial proceeds (while you're doing other stuff on DU lol). Maybe even quotes before media get them. Which is great, cuz I love getting ahead of the TV commentary. There might be better links, but that's the one I use until I see something better.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/04/19/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial