*** Official Trump Hush Money Trial Thread ***

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MarkTwain
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2:13p, 5/20/24
Trump's lawyer Blanche: Is this the only time you saw President Trump overpay?
Cohen: Yes.
Blanche: I have no further questions.
Justice Merchan to Cohen: You may step down.
Prosecutor Steinglass: The people rest.
Justice Merchan: Counsel, please approach
“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience" - Mark Twain
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aggiehawg
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2:13p, 5/20/24
AG
Quote:
Trump attorney Todd Blanche is returning to the photo of Donald Trump and his former bodyguard Keith Schiller on October 24, 2016, that prosecutors entered into evidence.
Quote:
"Your testimony is still… just so I understand… in that 90 seconds you spoke with Mr. Schiller about the problem you were having with the 14-year-old, got him to agree to take care of it, told him you would send him the number, which you did, but also had time for Mr. Schiller to pass the phone to Mr. Trump and update him on everything going on," Blanche asked, echoing his questions from cross-examination on Thursday.
"Yes, sir," Cohen said
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aggiehawg
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2:16p, 5/20/24
AG
It is 3:15 Eastern. Dismiss the jury and get on with the defense motions.
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MarkTwain
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2:16p, 5/20/24
Anyone wanting to read all this in a thread

“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience" - Mark Twain
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Casual Cynic
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2:17p, 5/20/24
So it just comes down to whether the jury can believe Cohen talked about both subjects in 96 seconds?
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aggiehawg
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2:18p, 5/20/24
AG
Damnit Merchan! Forcing them to start their case immediately because he just denied the motion for a directed verdict out of hand.

Quote:
The defense's first witness is Daniel Sitko, a paralegal in Todd Blanche's law firm.

Blanche is questioning him.
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Hungry Ojos
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In reply to aggiehawg • 2:21p, 5/20/24
aggiehawg said:
Damnit Merchan! Forcing them to start their case immediately because he just denied the motion for a directed verdict out of hand.

Quote:
The defense's first witness is Daniel Sitko, a paralegal in Todd Blanche's law firm.

Blanche is questioning him.
Just unbelievable.

I knew that Merchan (don't even want to call him "Judge" because he is acting more like co-counsel for the prosecution) wouldn't even consider it, but if ever there was a case ripe for a directed verdict...
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aggiehawg
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2:23p, 5/20/24
AG
Wait, wait wait! The SOL was tolled while Trump was in the WH on the misdemeanor charges now? And that's the theory bringing them back into the jury charge? They could have filed an indictment under seal to meet the SOL requirement, even wile Trump was in the WH.
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aggiehawg
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2:24p, 5/20/24
AG
Quote:
The defense's first witness is Daniel Sitko, a paralegal in Todd Blanche's law firm.
Blanche is questioning him.
"You work for me?" Blanche asks. "I do," Sitko says.
Sitko has been in court every day and is generally the one who lugs the huge binders of materials to the defense table.
Quote:
Paralegal Daniel Sitko says he created a summary chart of phone calls.
He says he built the summary chart from one of the prosecution's exhibits, a call log for one of Michael Cohen's phones involving Robert Costello.
Some context: Costello once advised Cohen, but Cohen never formally retained him. The jury in this case has already seen emails from Costello offering to serve as a backchannel to Donald Trump after Cohen's home and office were searched by the FBI.
Quote:
Trump attorney Todd Blanche's direct questioning of his paralegal Daniel Sitko is over.
Becky Mangold is doing the cross-examination for the prosecution.
ETA:

Quote:
Trump attorney Todd Blanche's direct questioning of his paralegal Daniel Sitko is over.
Becky Mangold is doing the cross-examination for the prosecution.
She confirms with Sitko that there's no way to tell who was on the calls listed from the general line of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron.
Remember: Cohen says he's on a board with Jeffrey Citron who worked at the same firm as Costello at the time.
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Stat Monitor Repairman
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2:25p, 5/20/24
First four weeks of trial moved at a calculated and leisurely pace.

Now we'll see the judge push the defense like a pack of huskies at the Iditarod.
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aggiehawg
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2:28p, 5/20/24
AG
Quote:
The defense has called Robert Costello to testify. They just wrapped up direct questioning of Todd Blanche's paralegal Daniel Sitko.
Yeah!!!!
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aggiehawg
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2:33p, 5/20/24
AG
Damnit!!!!

Quote:
Judge Juan Merchan is asking the jurors to step outside. Lawyers from both sides are at the bench before the defense's next witness, Robert Costello, is brought into court.

"I do wish that we had discussed this earlier," judge says.
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MarkTwain
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2:35p, 5/20/24
Then a sidebar, from which Justice Merchant emerges to say] Juror, I apologize, I ask you to step outside.
Jurors leave.
Justice Merchan: I wish this has been raised earlier.
Prosecutor Hoffinger: If it is admitted, it should be restricted to two questions
“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience" - Mark Twain
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4stringAg
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In reply to aggiehawg • 2:35p, 5/20/24
AG
aggiehawg said:
Damnit Merchan! Forcing them to start their case immediately because he just denied the motion for a directed verdict out of hand.

Quote:
The defense's first witness is Daniel Sitko, a paralegal in Todd Blanche's law firm.

Blanche is questioning him.
Malpractice by the judge. Nothing has been proven that Trump committed a crime. Reasonable doubt all over the place. The fact is the prosecution simply didn't prove their case at all.

This judge wants a conviction. Doesn't care about his rulings getting appealed. They need a conviction for the Dems to be able to say Trump is a felon leading up to the election.

They claim Trump tried to illegally influence the 2016 election. I'd say definitively they are using a warped version of the law to influence it in 2024.
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AggieUSMC
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In reply to aggiehawg • 2:36p, 5/20/24
AG
aggiehawg said:
Wait, wait wait! The SOL was tolled while Trump was in the WH on the misdemeanor charges now? And that's the theory bringing them back into the jury charge? They could have filed an indictment under seal to meet the SOL requirement, even wile Trump was in the WH.
It's worse than that. NY law allows the tolling of the SOL on misdemeanors but not more than 5 years. The alleged crime took place in 2017 and he wasn't indicted until 2023. By my calculations. that's 6 years.
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100% Pure Aggie
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2:36p, 5/20/24
Who's doing PBP? lol
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aggiehawg
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In reply to AggieUSMC • 2:37p, 5/20/24
AG
Quote:
It's worse than that. NY law allows the tolling of the SOL on misdemeanors but not more than 5 years. The alleged crime took place in 2017 and he wasn't indicted until 2023. By my calculations. that's 6 years.
Plus one year for covid. Yep, you read that correctly.
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MarkTwain
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2:38p, 5/20/24
Trump's lawyer Bove: We are offering this witness to rebut their allegation of a pressure campaign by President Trump. We provided notice days ago. I intend to elicit many facts about how their relationship existed.
Justice Merchan: I don't think so
Bove: Judge.
“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience" - Mark Twain
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aggiehawg
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2:38p, 5/20/24
AG
Quote:
Prosecutors are seeking to restrict the questioning of Robert Costello, a lawyer who once advised Michael Cohen.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger says:
"They should be restricted to two questions frankly that Cohen testified he didn't recall. He didn't recall Costello telling him that he should cooperate against Trump. He didn't recall the words saying that he said to Mr. Costello that he had nothing on President Trump."
Hoffinger adds that Cohen testified he didn't tell Costello the truth because he thought it would get back to Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump.
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SwigAg11
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2:41p, 5/20/24
AG
I knew the judge would restrict Costello's testimony like this.
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Hungry Ojos
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In reply to MarkTwain • 2:41p, 5/20/24
Foreverconservative said:
Trump's lawyer Bove: We are offering this witness to rebut their allegation of a pressure campaign by President Trump. We provided notice days ago. I intend to elicit many facts about how their relationship existed.
Justice Merchan: I don't think so
Bove: Judge.
What
The
****
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aggiehawg
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2:42p, 5/20/24
AG
Quote:
Trump attorney Emil Bove says that Robert Costello is being called to rebut the prosecution's argument about a "supposed pressure campaign from President Trump."
Bove also says Trump's legal team let the prosecutors know they were likely to put Costello on the stand "days ago."
From that initial meeting, Bove said Costello's recollection is different from Michael Cohen's.
"Costello recalls Cohen saying President Trump did not know about the payment to Stephanie Clifford (Stormy Daniels). That's extremely probative of the core issues in this case," Bove said.
Judge Juan Merchan asks Bove "you don't think the whole pressure campaign theory is collateral?"
Bove says not at all.
"The whole purpose of this was to make president trump sound threatening," Bove says. Merchan says he disagrees that was the purpose.
"I disagree that Mr. Costello can testify about Cohen's state of mind. I'll consider some of your other arguments but I'll disagree to that," judge says.
Have I mentioned how much I dislike this judge's biases statements and rulings?
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Hungry Ojos
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In reply to aggiehawg • 2:43p, 5/20/24
It's not his "state of mind" it's his actual ****ing words!
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aggiehawg
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2:43p, 5/20/24
AG
Quote:
Judge Juan Merchan has left the bench.
He says he is going to take five minutes.
He told the parties to stay in the courtroom.
Donald Trump is leaning to whisper with his attorneys, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, at the defense table
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MarkTwain
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2:43p, 5/20/24
So Merchan lets Stormy ramble all over the place on completely irrelevant and prejudicial nonsense and Costello is restricted to two questions

This is such a farce
“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience" - Mark Twain
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pacecar02
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In reply to aggiehawg • 2:44p, 5/20/24
has to go watch an interview to determine which questions he'll allow
no sig
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Hungry Ojos
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In reply to MarkTwain • 2:45p, 5/20/24
And was also willing to recess the trial for a day to allow the prosecution the courtesy of flying in another witness that they didn't handle properly to begin with.

What a ****ing joke.
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aggiehawg
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In reply to pacecar02 • 2:45p, 5/20/24
AG
pacecar02 said:
has to go watch an interview to determine which questions he'll allow
The one with Hemmer and Perino was 20 minutes plus.
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nortex97
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2:46p, 5/20/24
AG
It's an obvious fact issue whether Trump was 'threatening.' What was in Cohen's mind is almost completely irrelevant.
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pacecar02
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In reply to aggiehawg • 2:46p, 5/20/24
whats 5 min when he is the one keeping time
no sig
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MarkTwain
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2:46p, 5/20/24
Justice Merchan: I'm going to step down for 5 minutes. Do not leave the courtroom.
[Trump is talking to Bove, then to Blanche, who is holding up his own head with his right index finger and appears to laugh or at least smile.]
“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience" - Mark Twain
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Stat Monitor Repairman
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2:47p, 5/20/24
Next we'll see the judge try and get this case in the hands of the jury before memorial day weekend.

The old pre-holiday weekend jimmy-job. A real classic.
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aggiehawg
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In reply to Hungry Ojos • 2:48p, 5/20/24
AG
Hungry Ojos said:
And was also willing to recess the trial for a day to allow the prosecution the courtesy of flying in another witness that they didn't handle properly to begin with.

What a ****ing joke.
Nothing funny about this anymore.

Normally when a lawyer forgets to get something in with a foundational witness it is too bad so sad. Deal with it.

Merchan's career as a judge should be over after this. The state board on Judicial Conduct will have to open an investigation.
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richardag
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In reply to pacecar02 • 2:49p, 5/20/24
pacecar02 said:
has to go watch an interview to determine which questions he'll allow
During the interview with Mark Levin, Costello mentions emails proving his points. Maybe have Costello read the emails?
Pardon my ignorance since IANAL
Among the latter, under pretence of governing they have divided their nations into two classes, wolves and sheep.”
Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Edward Carrington, January 16, 1787
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AggieUSMC
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In reply to aggiehawg • 2:50p, 5/20/24
AG
aggiehawg said:
Hungry Ojos said:
And was also willing to recess the trial for a day to allow the prosecution the courtesy of flying in another witness that they didn't handle properly to begin with.

What a ****ing joke.
Nothing funny about this anymore.

Normally when a lawyer forgets to get something in with a foundational witness it is too bad so sad. Deal with it.

Merchan's career as a judge should be over after this. The state board on Judicial Conduct will have to open an investigation.
If this happened in another case, with another defendant, maybe. But this is Trump and this is NY we're talking about.
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