It’s time for an update on the Donald Trump trials and tribulations, as well as the latest on his codefendants.
Politics :
Let’s start with one of the original Trump trials involving a case that could disqualify him from holding political office: the federal trial for attempting to subvert the 2020 election.
In June, Special Counsel Jack Smith indicted Donald Trump for his failed efforts to devalue democracy and overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Specifically, the charges involve undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the election by enlisting a slate of so-called “fake electors,” using the Justice Department to conduct “sham election crime investigations,” trying to enlist then-Vice President Mike Pence to “alter the election results,” and promoting false claims of a stolen election as the January 6th riot raged — all in an effort to subvert democracy and remain in power.
The case has been in the hands of US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who was petitioned by Smith to begin the trial as early as January 2, 2024. Interestingly, Trump’s attorneys wanted to delay the trial for 3 years until 2026 — a move that would have potentially given him time to pardon himself if he were to win the 2024 presidential election.
However, on Monday, Judge Chutkan ended all speculation and ruled that the first of the Trump trials will begin on March 4, 2024.
Needless to say, Trump and his attorneys threw hissy fits over the news.
According to ABC News, Trump attorney John Lauro immediately complained to Judge Chutkan, claiming “This is an enormous, overwhelming task. We will not be able to provide adequate representation” to Trump with a 2024 trial date.
“Mr. Trump — President Trump — is entitled to a fair trial. This is a request for a show trial, not a speedy trial,” Lauro lamented in a raised voice. “Never in the history of the United States have we seen a case of this magnitude go to trial in 4 months,” Lauro continued. “This man’s liberty and life is at stake and he deserves an adequate representation. He is no different than any American.”
Lauro then made an odd choice by stating how “inconvenient” the early trial would be for Trump’s presidential campaign.
Understandably, Judge Chutkan was not moved.
“Mr. Lauro, let’s take the temperature down,” Chutkan admonished. “Mr. Trump has considerable resources that every criminal defendant does not usually have.”
As for the trial making his campaign life inconvenient, the judge was clear.
“Mr. Trump, like any defendant, will have to make the trial date work regardless of his schedule,” Judge Chutkan said, adding that “there is a societal interest to a speedy trial.”
“I understand [your concerns], Mr. Lauro, but you’re not going to get 2 more years. This is not going to trial in 2026,” she concluded.
Unfortunately (for him), the March 4, 2024 start date could very well become problematic for Donald Trump. March 5th is Super Tuesday and the day when the greatest number of delegates in the Republican primary is up for grabs.
This means Trump could become the presumptive GOP nominee in the 2024 presidential election at the same time as his lawyers are in court defending him against attempting to steal the last election.
Regarding another of the Trump trials, ‘The Donald’ decided last week to ditch Georgia lawyer Drew Findling and replace him with Steven Sadow.
Sadow is an Atlanta-based attorney with extensive experience in white-collar crimes and high-profile defenses. Of note is the fact that Sadow has previously challenged the state’s broad RICO law, under which Trump and his 18 co-defendants have been charged.
One particular Trump codefendant – former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows — spent most of Monday in court begging a judge to allow his case to be moved from state court to federal court. His belief is that a potentially conservative federal jury would be more favorable to him than a Fulton County, Georgia jury.
The day ended without a ruling, although his petition is widely expected to fail.
Codefendant Harrison Floyd, who is the director of the MAGA group “Black Voices for Trump,” did not reach a successful bond agreement before surrendering last week. He is currently being held in the Fulton County jail.
As for the other Trump codefendants, MSNBC is reporting that several are already attempting to secure a speedy trial — which is permissible in Georgia upon request.
Political pundits originally believed that the speedy trial requests were designed to force Fulton Country District Attorney Fani Willis to lay all of her evidence on the table before Trump goes to trial. However, that thought process has since changed and Legal Analyst Jill Wine-Banks believes the codefendants simply want to distance themselves from Donald Trump and his losing legal troubles as much as possible.
Stay tuned…
OK WASSUP! discusses Politics:
The Trump trials, tribulations, and codefendants.
Thanks DJ, nice summary of all of this mess!
Will be interesting to see how all of it plays out, to say the least.
In the meantime Trump will continue to be a Giant mirror of America’s true history. And the outcomes of his trials will prove if his grotesque reflection is who and what We Were and/OR who and what We Are(?)