Trump 60: Haul Out The Popcorn, It Is Finally Indictment Week!

[GreyhoundFan]

Poor Lindsey, trying to appease his master:

 

[Xan]

I wonder if Lindsey was sober.  If I'm hearing it correctly, "duplicitous" came out as "duplishus".  I've long thought that Donny has the goods on Lindsey.  Now he's just afraid of what might come out about himself.

[noseybutt]

I both am celebrating and in agreement with David Corn. 

I’m grateful Trump is not above the law.

I’m also concern over where this is headed. Not because he shouldn’t be held accountable. But because so many of our country think he shouldn’t be and that kind of stark polarization is hard for a democracy to withstand.

[Dandruff]

2 hours ago, 47of74 said:

I just got a thing from The Atlantic waxing about how the indictment of a former President is a solemn and sad moment.  Fuck you it is.  Not after what that fuck face piece of shit did to this country and the planet as a whole.  That orange fuck face deserves every legal charge, prison sentence, and so on coming his way.  Fuck him.  There, I said it.  It's either goddamn that or have a stroke trying to keep that bottled up.

I don't feel solemn or sad about it and can't imagine why any reasonable person would.  AFAIC, there can be no proportional justice or recompense for the damage he has done, but this is a start and a whole lot better than nothing.

I imagine there are a few leaders on the other side of the world - despotic and not - having a laugh or feeling some deep satisfaction from this, so he may have finally gotten people to sort of agree...somewhere.

[fraurosena]

Yes!! What wonderful news to wake up to! 
I know a lot of us would love to see a Trump perp walk, but I think Bragg is being smart by having Trump surrender voluntarily. A raid and pulling him out of bed and dragging him away in handcuffs might be a wonderful sight to see, but it could potentially also be incendiary to the radical elements in the country and in the House.
Speaking of the House MAGAts, has any one of them reacted yet, or are they all running for the hills because if it can happen to him, it can happen to them?

[thoughtful]

The captioning for Lindsay's rant seems to include a suggestion for celebratory food:

Spoiler

 

[fraurosena]

Yep, he’s triggered alright. And scared.

 

[fraurosena]

This might be the best reaction I’ve read so far:

 

[Smee]

It’s early evening here and I’ve spent most of the day trying to find the point in the email temper tantrums of my narcissistic ex husband, so I don’t think I can tolerate reading Donny’s rants too. But hooray that the slow-moving wheels of justice ARE moving.

[fraurosena]

So yeah, it took a while after his report came out, but this indictment did originate with the Mueller investigation.

 

[Becky]

I am glad he is finally facing charges - - but I am really, really concerned about the outcome.  We still don't know charges.  A misdemeanor or felony?  And what evidence do they have beyond the word of Michael Cohen?  How will his army of unhinged followers react?  I'll say it again - bringing charges but he is found Not Guilty would be a disaster.  I hope Bragg knows what he is doing.  

[formergothardite]

I wonder if the judge can order him not to talk about the case. That would keep him from stirring up violence and from using it for fundraising. 

[fraurosena]

40 minutes ago, Becky said:

I am glad he is finally facing charges - - but I am really, really concerned about the outcome.  We still don't know charges.  A misdemeanor or felony?  And what evidence do they have beyond the word of Michael Cohen?  How will his army of unhinged followers react?  I'll say it again - bringing charges but he is found Not Guilty would be a disaster.  I hope Bragg knows what he is doing.  

As far as I can gather there are 34 charges relating to falsifying business records.  In New York there are two degrees of falsifying business records. The second degree is a misdemeanor, the first degree is a felony.

This article explains the differences and what type of charges Trump could be facing:

Survey of Past New York Felony Prosecutions for Falsifying Business Records

Spoiler

A core crime that the Manhattan District Attorney will likely include in an indictment of former President Donald Trump is “falsifying business records in the first degree,” a felony under New York State law (N.Y. Penal Code § 175.10). Prosecutors and indeed all of us are compelled by the rule of law to consider how such a charge compares to past prosecutions. Are like cases being treated alike?

Here it appears they are. Prosecution of falsifying business records in the first degree is commonplace and has been used by New York district attorneys’ offices to hold to account a breadth of criminal behavior from the more petty and simple to the more serious and highly organized. We reach this conclusion after surveying the past decade and a half of criminal cases across all the New York district attorneys’ offices.

[...]

In New York, the criminal law on falsifying business records is found at Article 175 of New York’s penal code. The crime of falsifying business records can be committed in the second degree, which is a class A misdemeanor (N.Y. Penal Code § 175.05), or in the first degree, which is a class E felony (N.Y. Penal Code § 175.10).

An individual is “guilty of falsifying business records in the second degree when, with intent to defraud, he:

• makes or causes a false entry in the business records of an enterprise; or
• alters, erases, obliterates, deletes, removes or destroys a true entry in the business records of an enterprise; or
• omits to make a true entry in the business records of an enterprise in violation of a duty to do so which he knows to be imposed upon him by law or by the nature of his position; orprevents the making of a true entry or causes the omission thereof in the business records of an enterprise.” N.Y. Penal Code § 175.05

An individual “is guilty of falsifying business records in the first degree when he commits the crime of falsifying business records in the second degree, and when his intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof.” N.Y. Penal Code § 175.10.

For Trump to be prosecuted for felony violation of falsifying business records, the statute requires the DA to prove not only that Trump is guilty of falsifying business records (a misdemeanor), but that he did so with the intent to commit “another crime,” or aiding or concealing the commission of “another crime.”

 

14 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

I wonder if the judge can order him not to talk about the case. That would keep him from stirring up violence and from using it for fundraising. 

I don't think it will make a difference if a judge can and does order him not to talk about the case. Trump simply can't keep his mouth shut.

[Smash!]

I will only dare to celebrate if we see a picture of 45 in handcuffs. I‘m anxious he will find a way to avoid his indictment.

[Xan]

1 hour ago, Smash! said:

I will only dare to celebrate if we see a picture of 45 in handcuffs. I‘m anxious he will find a way to avoid his indictment.

Since DeSantis said that Florida will not assist with the extradition, it's possible that Donny might not turn himself in.  After all, this will end up hurting DeSantis and Ron is Donny's main opponent.  If DeSantis doesn't put up any roadblocks, then the Trumpies will turn on him.  If Ron tries to delay extradition, he's in legal hot water himself for interfering.  

So, Donny may or may not be in NY Tuesday but it will depend on how he wants to affect DeSantis.  I don't see any way that the Secret Service allows anyone to handcuff Don.  And, even if he is arraigned, the trial might not be for another year.  Right now, I'm pinning my hopes on this being the beginning of a waterfall of charges.  I'd love to see Fani Willis get him next.

[47of74]

Keith was having fun with this on Countdown.  I was looking forward to what he would have to say about the orange fornicated getting, as orange fornicate put it, indicated. 

[fraurosena]

12 minutes ago, Xan said:

Since DeSantis said that Florida will not assist with the extradition, it's possible that Donny might not turn himself in.  After all, this will end up hurting DeSantis and Ron is Donny's main opponent.  If DeSantis doesn't put up any roadblocks, then the Trumpies will turn on him.  If Ron tries to delay extradition, he's in legal hot water himself for interfering.  

DeSantis not assisting with the extradition could be a strategic maneuver against his main opponent: it essentially imprisons Trump in Florida. As soon as Trump attempts to leave the state, he will be arrested and arraigned, so Trump can't campaign. So Trump will have to voluntarily surrender if he wants to be able to effectively run for the candidacy. Either way, DeSantis stands to gain: either Trump is kept from campaigning, or Trump gets arraigned and will probably have to stand trail in the midst of campaign-season. 

DeSantis is also being sneaky on another front:

 

[Xan]

Good point!  I suppose Don would be safe in red states with conservative governors but it would severely limit where he could campaign.  

DeSantis is a nasty piece of work.  I don't want him anywhere near the White House.  His Republican legislature just passed a concealed carry without a permit bill.  It also scraps some of the background checks and weapons training.  Ron got a lot done while we were all watching Trump.

[libgirl2]

42 minutes ago, Xan said:

Good point!  I suppose Don would be safe in red states with conservative governors but it would severely limit where he could campaign.  

DeSantis is a nasty piece of work.  I don't want him anywhere near the White House.  His Republican legislature just passed a concealed carry without a permit bill.  It also scraps some of the background checks and weapons training.  Ron got a lot done while we were all watching Trump.

Yea, he really is an evil POS. 

[Xan]

Now, Donny is going after the judge.

This is getting nasty very quickly. The racism is overwhelming.  I get that he's panicked but doesn't he have anyone who can tell him to shut up?

[SassyPants]

Donnie f’d around for 60 years and finally found out that actions come with consequences. Too bad, not so sad!

[Destiny]

6 minutes ago, Xan said:

Now, Donny is going after the judge.

This is getting nasty very quickly. The racism is overwhelming.  I get that he's panicked but doesn't he have anyone who can tell him to shut up?

I wonder if he actually meant appealing or appalling. In context, either could theoretically work, but it stuck out to me. 

I'm sure his lawyers have told him to shut the actual fuck up already, but he's ignoring them. He's gotten away with everything all his life by being a blustery asshole so the idea that he has to stop is probably very abnormal for him.

[thoughtful]

9 hours ago, fraurosena said:

This might be the best reaction I’ve read so far:

 

I only see blank white space under this. Now I want to know what was so funny!

 

[keen23]

Twitter is a steaming cesspit of keyboard warriors who think they'll be soldiers in the Civil War to free Donny. I hate them all, and wish that they suffer from a continual itch just in the part of their backs that they cannot reach.

[fraurosena]

38 minutes ago, thoughtful said:

I only see blank white space under this. Now I want to know what was so funny!

 

It says: 

He finally won a popular vote.