I swear I don’t know who the defense can call as witnesses, or what they can say at this point. The whole thing is a dance around everything except the specific charges.
Does the defense lend credence to their personal smearing by bringing in character witnesses?
The judge has already denied any legal experts on the law can be called, leaving such instructions to the court only. We have to hope defense closing arguments rule the day.
I don’t expect an acquittal — not with a Manhattan jury. But it only takes one juror. Defense only needs to plant the seeds of reasonable doubt in the mind of a single juror. Will it happen? Who knows.
Closing arguments should be interesting.
“Members of the jury, My client, President Donald Trump was charged with knowingly falsifying a business document. Normally this misdemeanor would never go to trial, if it did, historically the trial would last an hour or two, not three months. The prosecution hasn’t presented any evidence that President Trump knowingly falsified any evidence. The prosecutions own witnesses testified that the invoice in question coincided with regular monthly legal retainer payments. Another testified that he rarely if ever spoke with Donald Trump and certainly not about a bookkeeping line item.
You have no choice but to immediately find my client Not Guilty.”
The defense wanted to call the former FEC Chairman Bradley Smith to testify about what the FEC considers personal versus campaign expenses, but Merchan won't allow it.
-PJ