FBI director says a judge accused of helping someone evade immigration agents has been arrested
https://apnews.com/article/immigration-judge-arrested-7997186bbca5730e70a25f2347e631f6
You can easily make this argument the other way around: ICE hindering the courts by intimidating migrant witnesses from testifying by grabbing migrants at the court house.
#Trump’s unruly behavior at the NY trial makes him a candidate for #jail time, as does his #felony #crime of falsifying business records: Over the past decade in #Manhattan, >⅓ of these convictions resulted in defendants spending time behind bars. Across NY State, the proportion is even higher — about 42% of those convictions led to jail or prison time.
Despite #Trump’s political status, the judge in his #criminal NY #FalsifiedBusinessRecords #ElectionInterference case has ample grounds to jail him, a NYT examination of dozens of similar cases shows.
#StochasticTerrorism #WitnessTampering #WitnessIntimidation #JuryTampering #JuryIntimidation #law #GiftArticle
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/08/nyregion/donald-trump-merchan-sentencing-jail.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
#Steinglass continues the argument on #WitnessIntimidation, noting that #Trump attacked #StormyDaniels on social media the same day she had an interview w/the Manhattan DA’s office. Steinglass argues that the post contains a lie — in it, Trump said that he hadn’t seen or spoken to Daniels since meeting her on a golf course in 2006.
Steinglass says that the jury knows it to be a lie because #RhonaGraff, Trump’s loyal asst, testified that Daniels had met w/Trump at Trump Tower.
#Steinglass again reads passages of obe of Trump’s books, in which he wrote that he can’t stomach disloyalty. Steinglass argues that #Trump disparages #witnesses who speak out against him in order to discourage other witnesses from coming forward.
Steinglass reads a Truth Social post of Trump’s from Aug 2023, in which he wrote in all capital letters: “if you go after me, I”m coming after you.”
#SebastianGorka, Trump’s fmr White House *adviser*, walks in w/ a silver case bearing what appears to be a presidential seal.
With his legal team & Secret Service agents in the mix, #Trump’s group numbers more than two dozen. #WitnessIntimidation #JuryTampering
#RobertCostello is on the stand.
Justice Merchan reminds him that he’s under oath.
#Hoffinger, one of the prosecution’s leaders, is expected to continue her cross-examination of Costello.
#Hoffinger, the prosecutor, is now detailing a lawsuit that #Trump filed against #MichaelCohen in Florida, well after the presidency. Ultimately Trump decided not to be deposed [wonder why¿] & the case was dismissed. That suit was widely seen as #WitnessIntimidation.
Cohen reflects on his time w/Trump:
“I don’t regret working at the Trump Organization.” But in order to stay in Trump’s good graces & obey his orders, “I violated my moral compass, & I suffer the penalty.”
The #TrumpCampaign has removed 2 posts from its campaign website that Justice Merchan determined were violations of a gag order preventing #Trump from attacking potential #witnesses. Both posts involved #MichaelCohen.
It appears that the 7 social media posts that were also found to be violations of the #GagOrder have been deleted as well. Justice #Merchan ordered the posts' removal by this afternoon.
BLANCHE: What if I commit to the Court & the People that *President* #Trump will not tweet about any witness?
MERCHAN: I don't think you can make that representation... they won't give it to you today or tomorrow--& they're not required to.
From #TrumpTrial transcript:
BLANCHE: …I would ask that the People provide us w/the names of their first 3 witnesses so that we can prepare...
STEINGLASS: Look, I got to be honest: That's a courtesy that we normally extend. [but] Mr. #Trump has been tweeting about the witnesses. We're not telling who the witnesses are.
MERCHAN: I can't fault the People for that.
#Trump, for example, has taken aim at #MichaelCohen, his onetime fixer & one of #AlvinBragg’s main witnesses, calling him a “liar” & a “rat.” And in a rambling & angry post on his social media site on Tues, Trump made an ominous reference to Cohen, claiming w/o explanation that his former fixer was “death.” He also referred to one of Bragg’s prosecutors in pejorative [#racist] terms.
…in seeking the #GagOrder last month, #AlvinBragg’s prosecutors highlighted #Trump’s “longstanding history of attacking witnesses, investigators, prosecutors, judges, & others involved in #legal proceedings against him” — comments that the judge seized on in his ruling.
“His statements were threatening, inflammatory, denigrating,” Justice #Merchan wrote in the Tues order.