How odd.
Balls
Must feel confident
Was the prosecution that horrible?
That decision (to skip a defense in court) doesn’t make much sense to me.
This is a fairly common tactic. They want the jury to hold the prosecution to their burden of “beyond a reasonable doubt” rather than just comparing the defense vs. prosecution case and voting on who had the better case.
Prosecution is probably going to ask for a mistrial because they will claim the judge was (in their opinion) biased.
Case might be retried. Is this a strategy to avoid tipping their hat at their defense plan?
Or are they just really confident? (or both)?
It’d be great to see this dismissed with prejudice.
I've seen people in court with cargo shorts and flip-flops. I'm talking witnesses!
On a jury a few years back, I showed up with a shirt and tie and I was made the foreman of the jury, probably because I was better dressed than everybody else.
During that trial, I was still in Massachusetts, and I remember one of the court clerks being very angry with me because I had a copy of a Howie Carr book to read. People who work for the state government in Massachusetts really hate Howie Carr.
I think in practice it’s pretty common.
(though it may not seem so as it would make for pretty lousy episodes of Perry Mason and Matlock).
I was listening to Levin and he said the attorneys need to have a big flow chart that shows all the relationships and immunity deals or minor plea agreements of all of the States witnesses...Then ask the jury why all of these people got deals but Manafort didn’t...
No defense? Okay, a comment with that decision? Do they think it is a slam dunk or are they planning for appeal?
bmp
The defense usually puts up a defense unless they strongly feel prosecution didn’t prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. Certainly with crook Gates as the main witness against Manafort, one can understand the prosecution’s problem.
If Manifort is not guilty, what’s a Mulehead to do?
They can see the jury... We can’t. I’m pretty sure Mueller will claim that a acquittal was because of the disdain that the judge showed towards his prosecutors.
The good news for Mueller and the press.. It starts all over again in a much more friendly local (DC) and likely with a more anti-trump judge and jury.
The defence lawyer looked at the jury and just said,” Everything that man said is Bull Shit”.
I presume this means that they are not going to call any of their own witnesses. Their “case” would be based on the cross examinations of prosecution witnesses that occurred already.
If there is nothing relevant/helpful that could be added by calling someone else...you don't call them.
Also, this judge clearly tried to move this trial along, which may have led the prosecutors to ignore some stuff they might otherwise have introduced. Calling Manafort or other witnesses could give the prosecution another bite at the apple as well.