Stinks indeed.
A warrant must obtain prior to searching and seizing anything.
Assuming he’s not representing himself (and thus has a fool for a client), Eastman’s lawyer should be able to skin up a demand similar to Habeas Corpus (”you shall have the body”) to force production of the hard-copy warrant (’Habeas Chartam”? “Habeas Documentum”?). Otherwise his case falls apart.
Eastman has corrupt poltroon collaborator for a judge.
I am a complete dunce when it comes to legal matters, but this...this is astonishing to my untrained eye.
I cannot have ever imagined something like this would occur on a public stage. I can certainly imagine it happening to some poor schmuck with no lawyer, but to have it happen on a national stage, to a powerful lawyer, no less...I am totally flabbergasted by this.
I would have to think that if they could not produce a hard copy of the first warrant, that the entire thing would get thrown out, never mind disciplinary action against the inept persons who seized property under that missing warrant.
I find this as deeply disturbing as any legal misconduct I have witnessed in the last decade, simply due to the public shrug of the shoulders, as if they know fully nobody of significance is going to object.
I could clearly be wrong on this. But something in my gut tells me this is a Rubicon that has been crossed in quite a public and nonchalant manner, which makes it all the more disturbing. I would feel better if someone just came out and cited existing law that says this if all fine and dandy.