Thanks, NPR
Good Old NPR cut through the fog surrounding Donnie’s Indictment this morning.
A former Manhattan prosecutor prefaced his remarks with, “No one outside the Grand Jury knows all the facts of this case. Anything I speculate about is like reviewing a movie based on its trailer.” Actually, a movie trailer can be quite revealing. The trailer for “Cocaine Bear” convinced me not to waste my time or money on it.
He pointed out that a Grand Jury indictment is far from a slam-dunk conviction. The indictment is approved if twelve of twenty-three jurors determine that the charges MIGHT be valid. “There’s an old legal saying, ‘A ham sandwich could be indicted’”.
This could drag on for years. Typically, a jury trial in Manhattan District for a straightforward case requires twelve months after indictment due to the courts’ workload. This case is anything but straightforward. Trump’s lawyers can probably delay the trial for three years. What a treat for America. Three more years of “Witch Hunt” and Donnie’s smirking face on the nightly news.
The Trump Legal Team can delay the trial by claiming:
Change of Venue — Trump is deeply unpopular in Manhattan. He received less than 10% of the vote there in 2020. It would be impossible to find twelve Manhattan jurors without a preconceived opinion of Trump. Of course, Fox News studios are right there near Times Square. A jury with Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham would certainly view the man impartially. They are “fair and balanced” after all.
Manhattan Court’s Jurisdiction — The charge is not really about paying off Stormy Daniels. “Hush Money” is apparently a NY State misdemeanor. As far as we know, the felony in this case is falsifying campaign finance records. That is a Federal felony. Can a state court try a Federal charge resulting from a State misdemeanor? Here’s where lawyers get rich as appeals regarding whether there should be a trail in the first place go to higher and higher courts until the Supreme Court (with three Justices who owe their lifetime jobs to Donnie) decides it.
Thanks for ruining my morning, NPR. I dread three more years of Donnie in the news.
By Ed Dufton
