Im Gipper said:Oh I am aware. I am asking about a specific thing, not just a motion. Its an offer of proof where the lawyer puts the witness on the stand outside the presence of the jury so there is a record of what he would have said if permitted.Quote:
The defense made many motions about Smith's testimony over several days during the trial.
If Merchan really did not allow that,, then that is a huge point of error.
Just add it to the pile of reversible error. Merchan doesn't care.Quote:
If Merchan really did not allow that,, then that is a huge point of error.
Quote:
Defense attorney Todd Blanche refreshes the jury on text messages they saw between former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard and Stormy Daniels' then-manager Gina Rodriguez about selling the Trump story in April 2016.
"If there was really a 'catch and kill' conspiratorial relationship, then why did everybody ignore that story in April? Why did it not go anywhere for months and months and months?" Blanche asks.
Blanche also brings up text messages exchanged between Rodriguez and Howard in June 2016, noting that Howard writes: "Not much pisses me off these days. Except Donald Trump."
Blanche says there's "no scenario in which Mr. Howard can be part of this conspiracy. It appears he doesn't like Mr. Trump at all." Blanche goes on to say that the jury didn't hear from Howard nor from Rodriguez so he said it is really speculation.
Daniels and Rodriguez were more aggressively trying to sell her story, Blanche says.Quote:
"Mr. Howard is willing to help them. He wants to help Ms. Daniels and Ms. Rodriguez to get money. That's not a conspiracy involving Mr. Pecker, President Trump and Michael Cohen."
Error on the judge. Honestly, I'd be stunned if this occurred. Even though Mercan is clearly biased, not allowing an offer of proof just does not make sense.SwigAg11 said:Im Gipper said:Oh I am aware. I am asking about a specific thing, not just a motion. Its an offer of proof where the lawyer puts the witness on the stand outside the presence of the jury so there is a record of what he would have said if permitted.Quote:
The defense made many motions about Smith's testimony over several days during the trial.
If Merchan really did not allow that,, then that is a huge point of error.
Error on the defense for not pushing for that, or error on the judge?
Most likely. I suppose the appellate court could decide to expedite it but briefing and oral arguments still would take months.SwigAg11 said:
If convicted, I'm assuming the appeals process would take a long time? Probably after the election to be resolved?
aggiehawg said:Just add it to the pile of reversible error. Merchan doesn't care.Quote:
If Merchan really did not allow that,, then that is a huge point of error.
Sidenote: Storm moving in. So if I disappear for awhile, I've lost power.Quote:
Trump attorney Todd Blanche says he's on pace with his closing argument, so he thinks he has about 30 minutes left.
Blanche spoke for one hour and 54 minutes before the break. At the start of the day he estimated his closing argument would take about two and a half hours.
Quote:
Judge Juan Merchan says the court may take a lunch break early today once Trump attorney Todd Blanche is done with the defense's closing argument. However, he was non-committal, saying it depends on the time.
Quote:
Defense attorney Todd Blanche is back at the podium. He picks back up with Stormy Daniels in 2016.
Good for the Defense. 4-4 1/2 closing after lunch.aggiehawg said:Quote:
Judge Juan Merchan says the court may take a lunch break early today once Trump attorney Todd Blanche is done with the defense's closing argument. However, he was non-committal, saying it depends on the time.
Im Gipper said:
According to Google, the average appeal time in NY is 18 months!
Bad news for those clamoring to see Trump behind bars.
Quote:
"Ms. Daniels has denied that there was ever any sex with President Trump in 2018 and earlier," Blanche says. "But the government wants you to believe those statements were coerced."
One thing to note: Blanche is saying the denials were in 2018 and earlier, not the alleged sex encounter with Trump.
What does the law have to do with this trial or judge?SwigAg11 said:aggiehawg said:No, Was never introduced into evidence because Merchan would not allow it.SwigAg11 said:
Is the defense allowed to bring up that the reporting deadline was after the election?
Is it anywhere typical for the judge to allow that much obfuscation on the law?
Jury is going to love that, not.Quote:
Good for the Defense. 4-4 1/2 closing after lunch.
Not in jail, I know that much!SwigAg11 said:Im Gipper said:
According to Google, the average appeal time in NY is 18 months!
Bad news for those clamoring to see Trump behind bars.
While going through the appeals process, would Trump be in jail, house, arrest, probation, or something else?
Hopefully they will get some turkey, dressing, potatoes...lots of carbs for lunch.aggiehawg said:Jury is going to love that, not.Quote:
Good for the Defense. 4-4 1/2 closing after lunch.
Quote:
Trump attorney Todd Blanche is now playing more of the recordings between Keith Davidson and Michael Cohen.
In the recordings, Davidson, who was Stormy Daniels' lawyer, says sometimes people "get settler's remorse."
"At the end of the day, what really happened is that somebody offered more money to Ms. Daniels. Somebody offered to pay her legal fees if she got out of the NDA she signed with Mr. Cohen," Blanche says
"This started out as an extortion. There's no doubt about that. And it ended very well for Ms. Daniels financially speaking," Blanche says
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As Trump attorney Todd Blanche continues to deliver his closing argument in the hush money trial, Trump has turned his chair 90 degrees. He is now facing Blanche and the jury.
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Defense attorney Todd Blanche tells the jury "there's nothing illegal, there's nothing sinister" about the nondisclosure settlement agreement with Stormy Daniels.
Trump's lawyer says again, "There's no evidence...except for Mr. Cohen's words that President Trump knew about that agreement in 2016."
Has Merchan ever ruled on the directed verdict as requested by the defense last weeK?aggiehawg said:That was a long standing argument defense kept making to Merchan from pretrial on. Remember Merchan complaining about defense not accepting his rulings and kept filing notices for motions? But the day the defense was to begin their case, defense informed the judge that they had Brad Smith available at the courthouse. Merchan didn't want to hear from him, just repeated his earlier order restricting his testimony.Quote:
Didn't allow an offer of proof? Really? Do you recall which day? (It would need to be during the defense case).
Quote:
Trump's attorney Todd Blanche is delivering his closing argument, focusing on Donald Trump not knowing about the details of the checks he was signing and trying to discredit the alleged "catch and kill" stories attacking Trump.
Here are the highlights so far:
Trump had nothing to do with the checks: Blanche argued that Trump, who in the White House at the time, was very busy and did not know the details of each check. He said Trump's sons, Eric and Donald Jr., co-signed some of the checks, and former White House aide Madeleine Westerhout testified sometimes Trump would review the checks, but other times he would not.Cohen's payments were disclosed: Blanche reminded the jury the Trump Organization reported the payments to Cohen from the trust and Trump's personal account in a 1099 filing to the IRS. "There's nothing criminal about this at all, it's the way it's supposed to be done," he said. Blanche added that Jeffrey McConney, a former Trump Organization controller, kept the hand-written documents about the repayments to Cohen from the organization's CFO Allen Weisselberg.Quote:
"The leap that the government wants you to take, that he looked at the check and looked at the invoices and was part of the scheme, and remember what the scheme was, to book a legal expense as a legal expense that he was somehow in on that is absurd," Blanche said.
Karen McDougal deal: Blanche argued former model Karen McDougal's deal was not a "catch and kill" story because she did not want it published, so it could not influence the 2016 election.Stormy Daniels deal: Blanche said Cohen "made a decision to pay that $130,000 to Ms. Daniels, he didn't tell President Trump about it because he knew he could get credit for doing something to help President Trump at some later time." He added there was "no way" Trump knew about the payment at the time.Quote:
Remember: McDougal said she had a monthslong affair with Trump in 2006 and was paid $150,000 to keep quiet about it by the National Enquirer. Trump has denied the affair
And, through text messages between former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard and Daniels' then-manager Gina Rodriguez, Blanche tried to show Howard was not part of the conspiracy.
Quote:
After the "Access Hollywood" tape came out in October 2016, Trump attorney Todd Blanche says, "Ms. Daniels and Ms. Rodriguez seized an opportunity," speaking of Stormy Daniels and her then-publicist Gina Rodriguez.
Blanche says they thought: "Now, now's the time to strike."
Blanche shows a text messages between National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard and Rodriguez saying that he believed David Pecker would pay for Daniels' story.
Quote:
Trump attorney Todd Blanche continues to speak about the "catch and kill" stories that prosecutors have brought up in the hush money trial through witness testimony and exhibits.
"So again we're here talking about a conspiracy between Mr. Pecker, President Trump and Michael Cohen to catch and kill stories....and here you have Ms. Daniels coming forward right after Access Hollywood, this is our chance… this is it and David Pecker says 'nah, I want nothing to do with it.' That's our conspiracy? That's the three catch and kills?" Blanche says.
"'I want nothing to do with it. I'm not buying that story.' That's what they're telling you." Blanche continues, raising his voice, pacing in circles, raising his arms as he acts exasperated to the jury
Very high wind velocity south of Dallas. Semi's blown over on the Interstates. Stay alert and inside!aggiehawg said:Sidenote: Storm moving in. So if I disappear for awhile, I've lost power.Quote:
Trump attorney Todd Blanche says he's on pace with his closing argument, so he thinks he has about 30 minutes left.
Blanche spoke for one hour and 54 minutes before the break. At the start of the day he estimated his closing argument would take about two and a half hours.
Gee, Merchan doesn't really seem interested in doing anything remotely resembling his job.aggiehawg said:
No.
Quote:
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is watching defense attorney Todd Blanche as he talks about the "Access Hollywood" tape.
Blanche describes that tape as "an extremely personal event for President Trump."
His job specifically allows him to hold off, which I'd guess most judges do when presented this Motion.Ellis Wyatt said:Gee, Merchan doesn't really seem interested in doing anything remotely resembling his job.aggiehawg said:
No.
Quote:
Trump attorney Todd Blanche is now arguing that Stormy Daniels' story was "not a doomsday event" for the Trump campaign.
"It was one of many stressful stories that came up during the 2016 campaign. It was not a doomsday event," Blanche says.
Blanche says Trump "never thought it was going to cause him to lose the campaign, and indeed, it didn't."
"Michael Cohen, however, had a different view," Blanche adds.
Quote:
Defense attorney Todd Blanche is playing a recording of Michael Cohen speaking to Keith Davidson in October 2017 where Cohen says "who else would do that for somebody? Who else? I did because I care about the guy. I wasn't going to play pennywise pound foolish. And I'm sitting there and I'm saying to myself what about me?"
He argues that the phrase gives insight into Cohen's state of mind.Blanche reminds the jury that Cohen said, "what about me."Quote:
"It made perfect sense for Mr. Cohen in 2016 to make payment without telling President Trump about it," so he could get a fancy job if Trump won, and a better job internally if Trump lost, Blanche says.
Love this!Quote:
Blanche reminds the jury that Cohen said, "what about me."
Quote:
rump attorney Todd Blanche is now turning to Michael Cohen's call with Stormy Daniels' lawyer Keith Davidson in December 2016.
Davidson testified that Cohen told him that he was up for jobs in the Trump administration and was upset he didn't get them.
"He told you he didn't want a job in the administration. But that was a lie, another lie," Blanche says to the jury of Cohen.
"Mr. Cohen had an axe to grind, because he didn't appreciate what President Trump did and did not do for him" after he was elected president, Blanche adds.
Quote:
Todd Blanche is addressing the Stormy Daniels agreement, which Donald Trump never signed.
"What President Trump knew in 2016 you only know from one source, and I said that a few times but it matters and that's Michael Cohen," Blanche says.
"They showed the phone records and they showed him calls between him and others to help his testimony seem more corroborated and more credible. But we all know how that ended," he says.
Quote:
Trump attorney Todd Blanche is now moving on to Michael Cohen's interactions with Bob Costello after federal investigators raided his properties in 2018.
"You know there was an attorney client relationship between Bob Costello and Michael Cohen and so does Michael Cohen. There's no doubt about that," Trump's attorney says.
Blanche says phone records show Cohen and Costello spoke more than 70 times.
Blanche notes that Costello told Cohen that the best way out of the situation after the FBI raided his home and office would be to provide information to the feds.
"In that environment, under all that stress, facing the biggest crisis of life, he said to Mr. Costello, 'President Trump did not know,'" Blanche says.
"I don't know how many lies is enough lies to reject Mr. Cohen's testimony," Blanche says.
Costello was an attorney who advised Cohen in the weeks following the FBI raid on Cohen's home and office.
Quote:
Todd Blanche is addressing the Stormy Daniels agreement, which Donald Trump never signed.
"What President Trump knew in 2016 you only know from one source, and I said that a few times but it matters and that's Michael Cohen," Blanche says.
"They showed the phone records and they showed him calls between him and others to help his testimony seem more corroborated and more credible. But we all know how that ended," he says.
OUCH!Quote:
"They're perfectly happy to have a witness commit perjury, to lie to you," Trump attorney Todd Blanche says to the jury, raising his voice.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass objects, and the judge sustains.
Glad I'm not playing a drinking game with the number of times Blance says the word "lie" or a variation thereof.Quote:
Trump attorney Todd Blanche says when prosecutors "conveniently" showed the jury the phone records during Michael Cohen's testimony on direct examination about the October 24, 2016, call record, they left out the texts between Cohen and Trump's bodyguard Keith Schiller that Blanche says gives the appropriate context.
"We put them into evidence and now you know what happened," Blanche says.
"Is there the same absolute proof of lies for every single thing that man told you? No, no there's not. For that, we have what's called an oath," Blanche says.
