Posted on 05/13/2024 9:09:13 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
On Monday, conservative attorney, legal scholar, and commentator Jonathan Turley weighed in on the day's testimony by Michael Cohen in the ongoing New York trial of former President Donald Trump. Mr. Turley's comments about Cohen were, to say the least, sharply pointed.
Michael Cohen apparently wants a reality show but, if his testimony Monday is any indication, reality is about to sink in for not just Cohen but the prosecutors and the court.
In stoking interest in his own appearance, the former Trump counsel promised the public that they should be “prepared to be surprised.”
Thus far, however, Cohen has offered nothing new and, more importantly, nothing to make the case for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Just before he took the stand, the New York Post revealed that Cohen has been peddling a reality show called “The Fixer,” including working with Colin Whelan, who helped create “Joe Exotic: Tigers, Lies and Cover-Up.” Whelan appears interested to stay within that genre.
The Cohen pitch came with a cheesy promo video where he promised viewers, “I am your fixer.”
Mr. Fix-It, as Jonathan Turley maintains, hasn't done anything to fix Alvin Bragg's case against the former President.
With the prosecution’s case almost over, Bragg needed Cohen to clearly state that Trump intentionally committed fraud to conceal some still poorly defined crime.
The problem is that Cohen only confirmed that Trump knew he was going to pay for the nondisclosure agreement and that it would be buried before the election. None of that is unlawful.
Nondisclosure agreements are certainly legal; in my previous career as a corporate consultant, having worked with a lot of startups, I've probably signed hundreds of them. Whether there really was an assignation between the former president and the former porn star is irrelevant; if the Trump organization was willing to shell out some money and have an NDA to make the problem go away, there's nothing unlawful about that.
Previously on RedState: Judge Merchan Tells Michael Cohen to Zip It—Stop Yapping About the Trump Trial
Also, while Alvin Bragg is spending time and taxpayers' dollars on this farce, crime is spiking in the Big Apple, pro-Hamas activists are taking over trains, and the city's prosecutors aren't willing to do anything about it.
You would think that Alvin Bragg would have more important things to worry about than political prosecutions.
Mr. Turley concludes:
Absent a sudden epiphany in his final testimony on Tuesday, Merchan should rule in favor of a directed verdict — that is, throwing the case out before it goes to a jury. If he instead sends this farcical case to the jury, it is Merchan, not Cohen, who may have a better claim to a reality show as the ultimate “Fix It Man.”
That's the interesting bit. I'm not an attorney, nor do I play one on television, but it sure seems like Merchan's behavior in all things Trump up to this point makes the odds of a directed verdict slim or none. But farce this case is and farce it will remain, regardless of Merchan's actions, and the voters are watching.
The media wants something new. Their ratings depend on Trump being in the news day after day. Most people do not care about Trump’s female affairs.
That’s why I said Bait him.
They want to take the Bait with righteous anger.
If so far, according to Turley, no one has landed a blow, how does this trial keep Trump out of the White House?
“conservative attorney” Turley has never been conservative. He just so happens to see this junk for what it is and is giving an honest assessment of it.
It would be ironic if Trump became so angry he gave them a Colonel Jessup response.
And to think people are told to stand when “judges” like Imamoron and Merchan enter the room. They deserve ZERO respect from anyone.
Guilty...send him to the slammer.!! (New York jury) It was decided long ago.
Even CNN legal guest said this case is political and without merit.
I’m not so sure there are two attorneys on the jury. Not sure they want their names associated with this.
RE: Turley is a constitutionalist. He is a Democrat and does not like Trump, but he believes in the Constitution and believes in the legal system.
The well known liberal lawyer, Alan Dershowitz is another one who believes this case should have never been brought to court.
You really think he is dumb enough to testify?
I want to know where is the paper or text evidence between Trump and Stormy about a sexual encounter/affair? It’s been nothing but her word that it happened. But then the denial letter that it didn’t happen- but she only signed it she says now because she was bullied.
I don’t trust the judge in this case but as a former trial lawyer, I sometimes felt okay if the judge let a lot of cr*p in against my client because the judge was actually giving the other side something to hang him/her/themselves. I saw it happen again and again. In this case if the judge has even a tiny bit of integrity he’ll grant the defense motion to dismiss or for a directed verdict.
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