One potential crime would be a violation of federal campaign finance laws — Bragg has no jurisdiction over federal proceedings. The Department of Justice does, but it has already passed on this case, as has the Federal Election Commission. — yebiga

There’s a New York state law against committing a crime to benefit an electoral candidate and I believe Bragg alluded to that in his statement. What isn’t clear is if that law can apply to a federal election, and is likely the best target for a legal challenge so I wouldn’t be surprised if the charges are reduced to misdemeanours. But even misdemeanours should be prosecuted.

It continues to beggar belief, that when it comes to Donald J Trump otherwise sensible people consistently lose their ethical compass. — yebiga

Exactly. You being a prime example.

As no felony is stipulated in the indictment — yebiga

His indictment consists of 34 felony charges, — Benkei

The New York prosecutors performed legal gymnastics to pretzel the misdemeanor counts into felonies — yebiga

But nice speech.

What he meant is that the crime of falsifying business records is a misdemeanour, but the indictment says that because they were done to commit or conceal another (unspecified) crime, they are felonies. The indictment doesn’t specify what this other crime is.

I do find it strange that he wasn’t indicted directly for this other crime.

What he meant is that the crime of falsifying business records is a misdemeanour, but the indictments say that because they were done to commit or conceal another (unspecified) crime, they are felonies. The indictment doesn’t specify what this other crime is. — Michael

Does it have to?

Bragg is keeping his cards close to his chest. It seems likely that his decision not to discuss the second crime is strategic. Not disclosing it at this time is standard practice in such cases. The fact that the charges were brought against Trump does not change the rules and practices applicable to such cases.

As Trump is (or was) fond of saying: "we'll see". Perhaps he no longer says that is because he is afraid of what we might see.

Does anyone think the case will get tossed by the judge?

An admonitory.

Trump’s Idling Plane Got More TV Coverage Than Biden Cutting Healthcare for 15 Million

While Trump’s arraignment is historic news, it has almost no effect on the lives of ordinary Americans. Stories that affect millions of lives deserve far more than a few collective minutes of coverage. Media have long privileged sensational news over important policy shifts, leaving audiences in the dark about the forces that shape their lives. This, like many other instances, demonstrates the importance of alternative and adversarial media organizations and outlets. — https://fair.org/home/trumps-idling-plane-got-more-tv-coverage-than-biden-cutting-healthcare-for-15-million/

DJ Grab 'em by the Pussy, who constantly seeks to have legal matter decided in the court of public opinion, now seeks to have a trail against him for rape postponed because of pretrial publicity. Of course he has for years publicly addressed the allegation by E. Jean Carroll but what is different, according to his lawyers, is the “deluge of prejudicial media coverage”. What prejudicial media coverage? Coverage of the indictment against him by the Manhattan DA.

Disappointing ending to the Fox News trial. Yes, Murdoch has to shell out $700 million and eat a certain amount of crow, but the cast of clowns that spew lies and pollute the electorate don’t have to own up to their bullshit on their own stations or in the witness box. Still, it’s something.

Disappointing ending to the Fox News trial. Yes, Murdoch has to shell out $700 million and eat a certain amount of crow, but the cast of clowns that spew lies and pollute the electorate don’t have to own up to their bullshit on their own stations or in the witness box. Still, it’s something. — Wayfarer

That's expected in a nation where the right amount of money can free you of anything. The US has never been a nation of justice, it has always been a nation of entertainment. The legal system is there as a show for the public, just like public executions were there as a show of force by the state.

The only way for the legal system to be fair and righteous would be to get rid of the jury system and have the people at the top consist of a balanced group of judges who are ONLY working by the law and have absolute legal power. Politics shouldn't be allowed to even walk the corridors, it should be a place outside of the political spectacle.

At least that is a start. Constitution needs to be rewritten to reflect modern times and the responsibility of a president and politics need to be absolute, meaning, any crime of any kind or any kind of corruptive behavior will permanently ban them from acting as politicians.

If anything smells like corruption it's when citizens lose all rights at the most minor misdemeanor while politicians can do whatever they want and nothing happens or they just get a slap on their fingers and nothing more.

There's a similar case with Smartmatic that's ongoing. They're suing for $2.7 billion.

True, that, Hadn’t paid much attention to it but Smartmatic is very bullish.

https://wapo.st/41mwKXC

The only way for the legal system to be fair and righteous would be to get rid of the jury system and have the people at the top consist of a balanced group of judges who are ONLY working by the law and have absolute legal power. — Christoffer

That’s more the French model, isn’t it? A tribunal. But I can’t see it. They won’t even adopt metric, they’re amazingly conservative in some ways.

That’s more the French model, isn’t it? A tribunal. But I can’t see it. They won’t even adopt metric, they’re amazingly conservative in some ways. — Wayfarer

I think it has to do with their delusion of hegemony. If you believe that your nation is the biggest and best in the world, has the best state system, and has moral superiority, then no other system can be better.

It's a basic cognitive bias. It doesn't matter if I would show how well, for example, the Swedish system works, both politically and legally, they will get lost in their biases and propose arguments that make no sense or have no actual rationality behind them.

It's a nation built on the cognitive bias that they are morally superior, it has been infused into the culture and mind of every citizen to the extent that even the most open-minded people still don't know that there are better systems out there that lead to far better legal equality and politics less prone to corruption.

It's like showing them the list of "the best places to live" in the world, formed by combining a number of statistics for a society, pointing to the top of the list, and asking what they see and they will just answer like any other robot of Westworld... "it doesn't look like anything to me".

It's like showing them the list of "the best places to live" in the world — Christoffer

What are some of those places, according to you?

Disappointing ending to the Fox News trial. Yes, Murdoch has to shell out $700 million and eat a certain amount of crow, but the cast of clowns that spew lies and pollute the electorate don’t have to own up to their bullshit on their own stations or in the witness box. Still, it’s something. — Wayfarer

It's something alright..

A tremendous public disservice!

It will be interesting to see what happens in Bragg's lawsuit against Jim Jordan for interference.

Once again Republicans are doing what they accuse others of, turning a legal matter into politics. They are going to do whatever they can to make it go away.

The plot thickens ...

Text messages reveal Trump operatives considered using breached voting data to decertify Georgia’s Senate runoff in 2021
^{— Zachary Cohen, Sara Murray, Jason Morris, Paula Reid · CNN · Apr 21, 2023}

Alvin Bragg files 'shoosh' order.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sought a protective order on Wednesday barring former President Donald Trump from spilling grand jury and other sensitive materials. In a 26-page motion, Bragg’s assistant district attorney Catherine McCaw noted Trump’s history of trying to undermine the various criminal investigations against him in New York, Georgia and Washington, D.C. “Defendant has posted extensively regarding these investigations on social media and has discussed these investigations in speeches, at political rallies, and during television appearances,” her motion states. “His posts have included personal attacks on those involved in the investigation, including witnesses, jurors, and those involved in conducting or overseeing the investigations. In many instances, he has even posted regarding their family members.”

The final nail in Criminal Defendant-1's (aka "Putin's Bitch's") coffin is named Mike Pence ...

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/27/pence-appears-before-jan-6-grand-jury-00094310

What final nail in his coffin are we at now?

Jury finds that Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carroll, awards $5 million in damages

According to predictit.org, his chances of winning the presidency are only down 1% on the day. Sad.

Time to donate again, @NOS4A2 Write your check to E. Jean Carroll.

Liable for damages in a civil suit about a decades-old incident in a year she can't even remember. Another feather in the cap, boys.

Did you watch Trump's deposition video?

Yeah, pretty funny.

KAPLAN: And you say – and again this has become very famous – in this video, ‘“I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p*ssy. You can do anything.” That’s what you said. Correct?

TRUMP: Well, historically, that’s true with stars.

KAPLAN: It’s true with stars that they can grab women by the p*ssy?

TRUMP: Well, that’s what, if you look over the last million years I guess that’s been largely true. Not always, but largely true. Unfortunately or fortunately.

KAPLAN: And you consider yourself to be a star?

TRUMP: I think you can say that. Yeah.

You think that's funny? Where's the humor? You think someone like that should be president?

I have no interest in the sexual lives of politicians. But yeah, the conversations between males can get quite sleazy.

Well, I just as soon have a woman president. Less skeletons in the closet.

Imagine feeling obliged to defend this degenerate. :lol: