Posted on 05/21/2024 9:45:45 AM PDT by JSM_Liberty
The defense rested in Donald Trump’s criminal trial on Tuesday, without the former president himself testifying.
Trump had previously railed about being silenced and falsely claimed he was not allowed to testify, but ultimately elected of his own volition not to take the stand in his own defense.
Trump’s decision came without fanfare. The move was not surprising – defendants in criminal cases rarely testify, because they would be subject to cross-examination, during which they could easily say something that harms their defense – but followed several instances of Trump claiming he was not allowed to do so.
The judge, Juan Merchan, had gone so far as to address Trump’s claims, saying: “I want to stress, Mr Trump, that you have an absolute right to testify at trial,” and adding that the gag order preventing Trump from verbally attacking witnesses did not affect his right to take the stand. After the defense rested Merchan, told jurors to return on Tuesday 28 May for closing arguments. Merchan said he would also announce his instructions to jurors the next day and expected that they would then start deliberating.
The trial had resumed earlier Monday with continued cross-examination of Robert Costello, whom the defense has used to try to discredit the former president’s one-time fixer, Michael Cohen.
Trump entered the courtroom just before 9.30am. The former president, who is all but guaranteed to be the Republican presidential nominee, is charged with falsifying business records related to paying the adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 for her silence about an alleged sexual liaison.
Manhattan prosecutors allege that Trump plotted in summer 2015 with Cohen, then Trump’s consigliere, and the former tabloid head David Pecker to keep any damaging information under wraps in an effort to protect his candidacy in the 2016 election....
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
The judge knows they will return a "not guilty" verdict and he is buying time.
Look for a directed verdict of "guilty" because Orange Man Bad.
The jury was dismissed this morning and are not to return until NEXT Tuesday.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
PLenty pf time for the jury to watch ABC, CNN,MSNLSD, and be contacted for the politcal fix on how to vote.........$$$$$$$$$$$ comes in trust.
Oh my..just heard Kesh Petal(sp?) say to benny Johnson that the corrupt judge yesterday told trump’s lawyers in a snarky tone and rebuke said, “you don’t think 12 NYorkers can get it right?” LADIES AND GENTLEMEN….the fix is in! The idiot corrupt judge and his righteous tantrum slipped and gave away the verdict. Make of it what you wish but boy that was such a giveaway. I pray something radically takes place against this corrupt court because it’s a cancer that’s gonna spread through all our nation and nobody will ever have a fair shake. This is the way the Nazis in Germany started convicting and exterminating Jews and now New York is rapidly becoming a modern day Nazi Germany. It must be stopped.
Bringing the jury back for Thursday and (maybe) a truncated day on Friday wouldn't make a lot of sense.
I am sure that the judge realizes this and may prefer a hung jury or an acquittal in order to avoid appellate scrutiny. Notably, a clever and unscrupulous judge can tilt a jury by how he instructs the jury, giving favorable emphasis in his reading of the legal formula for decision to those parts that help one side or another. And, given the resources and unscrupulous nature of the FBI, the government may have one or more jurors in their pocket.
Of course, Judge Merchan is very likely compromised, perhaps with a trusted judicial colleague or attorney acting as a go between for the government and the judge. A hung jury is preferred even by the prosecution. That could give them a way to tie Trump up again with several weeks of trial during the campaign season.
Wouldn’t want to inconvenience anybody, or work on a Wednesday. It’s just a trivial matter of no national importance.
If there is a guilty verdict, congress will immediately vote to remove PDJT from the ballots in all states, guaranteed.
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