Breaking: Trump Verdict Livethread - eviltoast

Jury HAS reached a verdict. 11 hours, 43 minutes.

Developing.

Analysis is saying the jury using the word “verdict” indicates this is not a hung jury.

Jury has asked for more time to fill out paperwork, which makes sense, 34 counts x 12 jurors, 408 line items?

Judge has now called for the jury.

Detail on each count here, 3 basic categories:

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/30/g-s1-1848/trump-hush-money-trial-34-counts

Trump was charged with falsifying business records in the first degree.

Invoices for legal services
Guilty on 11 of 11 charges

Checks paid for legal services
Guilty on 11 of 11 charges

Ledger entries for legal expenses
Guilty on 12 of 12 charges

No bail, sentencing on July 11th, 4 days before the Republican convention.

Defense has until 6/13 to file motions, prosecution has until 6/27 to respond.

Trump is responding predictably. Attacking the judge and the whole process.

Jury HAS reached a verdict. 11 hours, 43 minutes.

Developing.

Analysis is saying the jury using the word “verdict” indicates this is not a hung jury.

Jury has asked for more time to fill out paperwork, which makes sense, 34 counts x 12 jurors, 408 line items?

Judge has now called for the jury.

Detail on each count here, 3 basic categories:

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/30/g-s1-1848/trump-hush-money-trial-34-counts

Trump was charged with falsifying business records in the first degree.

Invoices for legal services
Guilty on 11 of 11 charges

Checks paid for legal services
Guilty on 11 of 11 charges

Ledger entries for legal expenses
Guilty on 12 of 12 charges

No bail, sentencing on July 11th, 4 days before the Republican convention.

Defense has until 6/13 to file motions, prosecution has until 6/27 to respond.

Trump is responding predictably. Attacking the judge and the whole process.

If you’re trying to keep track of where we’re at in the Trump prosecutions:

Updated 05/30/2024

New York
34 state felonies
Stormy Daniels Payoff
Investigation
Indictment
Arrest
Trial
Conviction <- You Are Here Guilty, all 34 counts.
Sentencing - July 11, 2024

Washington, D.C.
4 federal felonies
January 6th Election Interference
Investigation
Indictment
Arrest  <- You Are Here
Trial - The trial, originally scheduled for March 4th, has been placed on hold pending the Supreme Court ruling on Presidential Immunity. They are due to hear those arguments on April 25th.
Conviction
Sentencing

Florida
40 federal felonies
Top Secret Documents charges
Investigation
Indictment
Original indictment was for 37 felonies.
3 new felonies were added on July 27, 2023.
Arrest <- You Are Here
Trial - Postponed Indefinitely
Conviction
Sentencing

Georgia
10 state felonies
Election Interference
As of 3/13/24 - Judge McAfee cleared 6 charges, 3 against Trump, saying they were too generic to be enforced.
As of 3/15/24 - The case may proceed, but either Fulton County DA, Fani Willis and her office or Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade must remove themselves due to the appearance of impropriety.
Investigation
Indictment
Arrest <- You Are Here
All 19 defendants have surrendered.   Trial - A trial date of Aug. 5, 2024 has been requested, not approved yet.
Three defendants, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, and bail bondsman Scott Hall, have all pled guilty and have agreed to testify in other cases.
Conviction
Sentencing

Other grand juries, such as for the documents at Bedminster, or the Arizona fake electors, have not been announced.

The E. Jean Carroll trial for sexual assault and defamation where Trump was found liable and ordered to pay $5 million before immediately defaming her again resulting in a demand for $10 million is not listed as it’s a civil case and not a crimimal one. He was found liable in that case for $83.3 million.

There had been multiple cases in multiple states to remove Trump from the ballot, citing ineligibility under the 14th amendment.

The Supreme Court ruled on March 4th that states do not have the ability to determine eligibility in Federal elections.

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/video/united-states-supreme-court-overturns-colorado-supreme-court-donald-trump-ballot-ruling/

    • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      52
      ·
      5 months ago

      Where are all the people who insisted that this would be a hung jury / acquittal? This was an easy and quick decision. I told you NYC would do this before the weekend.

        • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          29
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          5 months ago

          I think they’ve moved on to claiming Trump will never be sentenced to anything and will appeal it forever.

          This is not a complicated case. His signature was on 9 of the 11 checks and there was so much testimony linking him to the crimes. Michael Cohen played a secret tape of him and Trump discussing it!

          The judge bent over backwards to make the trial fair and any appeals will probably be rejected. There’s just nothing to appeal.

          • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            8
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            Yeah its not like sentencing waits for appeal right?

            People who have been in prison for years are still going for appeals.

            • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              9
              ·
              5 months ago

              I hope he’s put under house arrest and is only allowed out to go to court and see his appeal rejected.

          • thrawn@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            5 months ago

            Pretty sure it’s from watching him avoid real consequences for the past decade. I never want to assume he’ll actually be punished for once, cause the world will somehow rearrange itself to bail him out.

            Open and shut classified documents case? He gets a judge who would move the earth for him.

            That bond that could have bankrupted him? A court slashed the value to a mere fraction at the twelfth hour.

            The highest court of the land is openly corrupt and several of the members were appointed by him.

            Every single time I’ve thought “surely he can’t slither out of this one,” it becomes less than a footnote in the past few years. Just can’t bring myself to hope anymore. It feels like, even if he was sentenced and exhausted all appeals, he’d snatch the election victory and become king anyway, then pass that law making himself immune to prosecution in perpetuity.

            That said, I generally try to avoid normalizing it by moving the goalposts as you described. Usually I simply don’t comment, even irl, except to note the evidence and reasons he should face a consequence occasionally

        • barsquid@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          5 months ago

          Obviously I am pleased with this but I am not going as far as celebrating. I’ll consider popping bottles after the sentencing and appeals.

      • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        19
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        5 months ago

        I was very worried that some magabrain slipped their way in there and would spike this. I’m glad I was wrong.

      • rowinxavier@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        13
        ·
        5 months ago

        To be fair, it would only have taken one jury to hang it and worrying about that makes sense. Happily thus has worked out in favour of justice, but it was not a given and people were right to fear that outcome. Hopefully we will see the predicted change in likely voting outcomes from unaffiliated voters and thus can be the end of MAGA over the next couple of election cycles.

        • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          Hung juries are incredibly rare. I think most people claiming that was a possibility didn’t pay attention during the jury selection process. A ton of people were rejected, and most of them were because they posted something on Twitter against Trump.

          There were so few Trump supporters in the jury pool that it was easy to remove them. This jury seemed pretty unbiased. It just obvious that Trump is guilty.

          The prosecution had:

          Checks signed by Trump Business records created by Trump’s longtime CFO Pro-Trump witnesses who said he was guilty Trump’s former lawyer who set it up and has already been found guilty of the same thing Trump on tape discussing hiding the payoff Phone records where he discussed it A CSPAN video of him on the phone discussing it

          It never ended. Trump didn’t even take the stand to explain anything.

          • rowinxavier@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            5 months ago

            Indeed, it was a really clear case of election interference through the falsification of business records. It is a good result and now we just have to wait and see how people react. Will he beat Biden in the election? Will he be clearly rejected? I hope things end with him not being in office, but no matter what happens he cannot pardon himself for state crimes and if he wins the election and New York sentences him to prison time then there will be a novel set of issues to resolve from there. Ideally he loses, is sentenced to prison, and spends the remainder of his life offline.

      • WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        11
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        5 months ago

        Now they’ve moved the goalposts to say that the judge who Trump steadily antagonized throughout the trial will be leniant on sentencing.

      • barsquid@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        10
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        5 months ago

        Hey, I was one of those, I’m happy to be wrong. The other person is right, I am now changing it up to say he won’t see any actual punishment.

        This guy has been violating court orders over and over. Any of the rest of us would be in prison by now. I’ll believe in jail time or a fine that actually hurts him when I see it.

        • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          5 months ago
          1. Trump’s crimes will never be investigated
          2. Trump’s crimes will never be referred to a grand jury
          3. Trump will never be indicted by a grand jury
          4. Trump will never go to trial
          5. The judge will throw the case out
          6. The jury will not return a verdict / hung jury
          7. Trump will not be convicted on all counts
          8. Trump will not be sentenced <— You are here
          9. Trump will not be punished (jail / house arrest)
          10. Trump will appeal and overturn the verdict
          11. Trump is too old and frail to serve his sentence
          • barsquid@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            5 months ago

            Yes, all except 5 (for this set of felonies). See you in July, when we maybe find out how step 8 goes.

      • Stovetop@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        5 months ago

        Hello, I was one of those.

        A lifetime of disappointment has taught me to keep low expectations. But when things do actually turn out well, it can be a happy surprise.

        Hope for the best and expect the worst and all.

      • jballs@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        27
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        Yeah feels like breathing the same sigh of relief. Just hoping now another January 6th situation doesn’t happen as a follow up.

        • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          17
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          I mean, the timing is all wrong. J6 had a series of dependencies associated with it.

          Like, they are fucked for timing right now. Couldn’t be a worse time this could have happened electorally. I guess he can campaign from prison?

          • jballs@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            10
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            5 months ago

            I don’t think he’ll go to prison (would love to be proven wrong). I don’t think these charges have mandatory jail time. Plus I think he will appeal this until he dies.

            • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              12
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              5 months ago

              Yeah I don’t know either. I’ll watch MeidasTouch for the analysis on that. They’ve called pretty much every aspect of this trial correctly. Its a YT channel of all attorneys, trial lawyers, former prosecutors, etc. When it comes to law, not much better. They have former members of the NY AG office as contributors. None better.

              • ccunning@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                3
                ·
                5 months ago

                Is it actually good? YouTube keeps pushing it in my algorithm but the titles all look like wishcasting BS so I’ve avoided it.

                • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  6
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  ·
                  5 months ago

                  Its pretty far to the right (liberal/conservative), and they spam your feed constantly with click baity ass shit. Most of its not worth clicking on. Ragebait, clickbait, wishcasting, nothing burgers.

                  The two reasons to have been watching it until now have been Karen Friedman Agnifilo, and Michael Cohen. Both are contributors to the channel.

                  Karen Friedman Agnfilo is a former prosecutor in the office (30 years) that was prosecuting Trump. And Micheal Cohen is… well… he’s Michael Cohen.

                  These two figures are particularly informative in regards to this trial, and so are worth watching. Once this trial is well behind us, I’m not going to be watching the channel, unless its specifically regarding a legal matter.

                  And that’s the divide for me. This channel is great for legal analysis. But their political analysis is just, myopic, to say the least. I don’t go to them for political analysis. They don’t know up from down in this regard.

                  If you want great legal analysis, they are the best.

                  If you want recommendations for political analysis lmk.

        • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          9
          ·
          5 months ago

          Just hoping now another January 6th situation doesn’t happen as a follow up.

          If it happens it happens. We can’t suspend justice because of the fear of a misguided mob.

          • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            4
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            Well said.

            Also, with this current administration at the helm, there is no reason to wait around and do absolutely nothing but sit back and watch it on the teevee…bring in some muscle and don’t fuck around this time. If a lot more Ashli Babbitts show up, so fucking what?

            Also, maybe the current admin would give orders to PREPARE based on the OSINT alone, and share that info widely with all relevant authorities. And if Meal Team Six shows up to break things and smear their feces around government buildings and threaten the lives of others, they might meet deadly force…

  • kescusay@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    96
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    5 months ago

    Man… As the verdicts rolled in, I could genuinely feel my stress fading. This fucker has finally, finally been forced to experience a negative repercussion for his actions, and I can’t wait to see him experience more.

    • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      94
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      No he hasn’t.

      He wasn’t even remanded to custody.

      He hasn’t been sentenced.

      If the sentences are punitive monetary fines, then his “consequences” are nothing more than he’s ever had to deal with. He’ll just keep doing what he’s always been doing and raid the Republican money chest to pay his expenses.

      • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        49
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        I know somebody has to come out to play devil’s advocate at every turn. Yes the sentence could be a nothingburger. Yes he will appeal no matter what.

        At the very least, I can now call him convicted felon Trump. Justice has prevailed at least in this part.

        • MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          18
          ·
          5 months ago

          This was also the weakest case against him. Once he loses in November I can’t wait to watch him deal with this shit 3 more times. He’s either going to die in a courtroom or a jail cell.

          • ashok36@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            5 months ago

            It was not the weakest case. It was actually one of the strongest, with tons of corroborating evidence.

            If anything, I think the weakest case right now is the insurrection one. Fulton county is the next strongest, then the hush money case just finished, then the classified docs case.

            It’s a bit nitpicky though. He’s super obviously guilty in all of them just based on publicly available info. Maybe the defense in each case has a bullet proof strategy we don’t know about but… I doubt it.

            • Venia Silente@lemm.ee
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              5 months ago

              Okay, how is Insurrection Day the weakest case? He literally went on to live TV to command his “proud boys” troops to “stand down”.

              • ashok36@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                5 months ago

                By weakest, we are talking about which one has the best chance of beating a guilty verdict. Trump did a bunch of fucked up shit on Jan 6 and in the weeks beforehand but I think a good lawyer could at least get him a hung jury. At least with the publicly available evidence right now.

                The problem for Trump is that, like in New York, he will want to interfere in his defense and end up making things way worse for himself.

        • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          13
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          5 months ago

          If it were any of us, being a convicted felon would have meaning and consequences.

          I don’t think I’m being a devil’s advocate, I’m not arguing an unpopular position, just pessimistic and likely pragmatic.

          • fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            5 months ago

            I’m hopeful that today might be a turning point. It’s a significant occurrence.

            In a year’s time Trump will either be dead, in jail, or in the whitehouse. Of those three I honestly think jail is the most likely.

            While this specific trial might not land him in jail directly, it will significantly errode, consume, or expend his support. The idiots that keep sending him money don’t have infinite money. The title “Convicted Felon Donald Trump” will have meaning to many swing voters. Todays outcome provides a good excuse for republicans to decline support.

            Today is a significant impediment to getting to the white house, and if he doesn’t do that he will go to jail.

            In summary, a year from now when he’s in jail and we’re looking back at the journey, today will be the turning point - the start of a series of bad news.

              • fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                5 months ago

                You’re right of course. I was just listening to some commentary about how poorly biden is doing in the polls.

                I just want to be positive I guess. It’s been a long time between drinks.

              • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                5 months ago

                On that note, everyone in the US should be preparing to live through a civil war. Hopefully it won’t go that far, but realistically it all depends on who supports it and how willing they are to risk their future on that gambit. I wouldn’t be surprised to see either an insurrection fizzle out quickly or one gain fast momentum and become asymmetric warfare at first, followed by the real hardware getting used as parts of the military split into factions.

          • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            Yes. But other than oil & banking executives, who would do illegal stuff in a heartbeat if they could make money and get away with it, and crazies like Musk and the MyPillow guy, how many business-minded people would want someone convicted business fraud to lead a good economic environment for business?

            • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              5 months ago

              Those same business leaders likely vote republican in order to more easily get tax breaks and favorable laws, so apparently a lot of businesses want that kind of leadership - even if it wasn’t specifically what you meant.

      • barsquid@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        5 months ago

        He will never see a real punishment so let’s hope for practical benefits like losing votes from low-information idiots and draining Repub coffers.

        • Fades@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          July is gonna be interesting when all you doubters walk back your claims. The judge is hyper aware of the contempt x10, the fact Cohen did time in prison for the other side of this thing, the attacks on the judge’s daughter and family, staff, intimidation of jurors and witnesses…

          Don’t take it from me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0fYRCjdMsE&t=146s

          • octopus_ink@lemmy.ml
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            July is gonna be interesting when all you doubters walk back your claims.

            Do you not recognize how eager we all are for that to be true? Please, show up in July and blow a raspberry at me because I was wrong to believe Trump will die of old age, having never seen the inside of a jail cell, living a 1% lifestyle. I would love nothing more.

  • jeffw@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    55
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    5 months ago

    Verdict: Trump is guilty on all 34 counts

    Timeline/updates: Judge Merchan announced that he received a note saying the jury has a verdict (4:20 PM EDT)

    Merchan asked for 30 minutes for jury to complete paperwork (4:30 PM)
    edt: Merchan announced that the jury asked for 30 minutes. Unclear if that was from 4:20 or when he announced it closer 4:30/4:40ish

    Manhattan DA Bragg and the judge’s clerk have entered the courtroom. Bragg, appropriately, sits behind the attorneys from his office who tried the case (4:55 PM)

    Merchan has returned to the courtroom (5:00 PM) NYT clarified that the jury requested 30 minutes at 4:20. They are about to enter the courtroom. Merchan asked if both sides are ready; both sides responded affirmatively.

    Jury is returning (5:05 PM)

    Verdict: GUILTY on all counts

    They initially read the counts 1 by 1 and then were asked if all counts were guilty counts and they replied “Yes”. Trump was slack and motionless the whole time (5:10 PM)

    The officer has asked if either party wants a jury poll. The defense has said they do. (5:14 PM)

    Todd Blanche, defense attorney, makes a motion for the verdict to be tossed because of Cohen’s testimony. Motion denied. the lawyers approached the bench. (5:16 PM)

    Blanche asks for a mid-July sentencing hearing (5:17 PM)

    Sentencing set for July 11th, 10am, four days before the RNC where Trump will be nominated as his party’s candidate (5:18 PM)

    The judge dismissed the parties after asking about Trump’s bail. He announced that he will be released on his own recognizance. Trump leaves, described as red in the face, after shaking Eric’s hand.

    Outside the courtroom" “This was a disgrace,” Trump says. “This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt.” (5:21 PM)
    Other comments from NYT: Trump is significantly less animated than he has been as he rattles off the familiar lines that have characterized his remarks in the hallway for much of the trial. He seems more sober.
    Trump spoke for less than three minutes in total. He did not answer a shouted question by a reporter who asked why Americans should vote for a convicted felon.

    Other notes:
    Eric appears to be the only other Trump present.
    Trump was calm, descibred as “slack” during the reading of the verdicts. During jury polling, he looked at the jurors, then looked back in front of him, towards the judge.

    Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/05/30/nyregion/trump-trial-verdict and https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-30-24/index.html

  • IchNichtenLichten@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    51
    ·
    5 months ago

    “This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt. It’s a rigged trial, a disgrace. They wouldn’t give us a venue change. We were at 5% or 6% in this district, in this area. This was a rigged, disgraceful trial.”

    I hope the judge takes his complete lack of contrition into account when sentencing. If Cohen did time, Trump should do time.

    • btaf45@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      We were at 5% or 6% in this district, in this area.

      You mean the same district that elected Rudy Ghouliani for mayor?

      This was a rigged, disgraceful trial.

      Rigged how? Is Convicted Felon and Sex Offender Treason Trump alleging that the 12 random jurers were secretly preselected even though his own lawyer helped select the jury? How come he is giving zero details? Because there are no details to give. Literally every court case and election that Loser Trump loses is “rigged” because his one and only strategy on everything is “Lie, Lie, Lie”.

  • kescusay@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    48
    ·
    edit-2
    5 months ago

    COUNT #1: GUILTY!
    COUNT #2: GUILTY!
    COUNT #3: GUILTY!
    COUNT #4: GUILTY!
    COUNT #5: GUILTY!
    COUNT #6: GUILTY!
    COUNT #7: GUILTY!
    COUNT #8: GUILTY!
    COUNT #9: GUILTY!
    COUNT #10: GUILTY!
    COUNT #11: GUILTY!
    COUNT #12: GUILTY!
    … COUNT #34: GUILTY!

    GUILTY ON ALL 34 COUNTS

  • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    32
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    5 months ago

    New York does not fuck around.

    E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump - GUILTY

    The People of the State of New York and Attorney General Letitia James v. Donald J. Trump - GUILTY

    The People of the State of New York and District Attorney Alvin Bragg v. Donald J. Trump - GUILTY

    Three up, three down.

    Now get the fuck outta here.

  • jordanlund@lemmy.worldOPM
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    30
    ·
    5 months ago

    It has now been brought to my attention that you can take the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles song and instead sing:

    Trump is a convicted felon
    Trump is a convicted felon
    Trump is a convicted felon

    • myusernameis@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      Because he paid a pornstar, Tobequiet.

      Edit: Just finishing the TMNT song to appease my compulsions y’all. I understand the the legal case is more complicated.

        • OldWoodFrame@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          8
          ·
          5 months ago

          He was specifically illegally conspiring to keep it a secret from voters, that’s why it was a felony instead of a misdemeanor falsification of business records.

        • SulaymanF@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          5 months ago

          It was discussed during the Hope Hicks testimony and others. After the Access Hollywood tape came out, his poll numbers took a nosedive. He was afraid that a story about cheating on his wife with a porn star would doom the campaign so he arranged to pay hush money to her and talked about on stiffing her on the rest of the payments after the election.

        • ashok36@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          5 months ago

          If the story hadn’t been about to come out in late October 2016 and the Access Hollywood tape hadn’t just come out, there’s a decent chance he wouldn’t have paid her off.

          As in most things in life, it’s all about timing and that was a big part of the prosecutions case for establishing motive.

        • Phegan@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          5 months ago

          It wasn’t the prostitution, it was that he commit fraud, he used election funds to pay her and then falsified documents saying he didn’t. It was fraud, not prostitution

        • RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          Yes it’s illegal. There were talks about decrimilization, but I believe that was only for the prostitute, not the soliciter. And it seems it hasn’t gone through.

      • Cethin@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        This isn’t the reason. He committed fraud while paying a porn star to be quit. He did not commit a crime with the payment itself necessarily, rather in how he did it (and with the side effect of defrauding the public during an election).

    • nicky7@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      Trump is a convicted felon

      Trump is a convicted felon

      Trump is a convicted felon

      Put him in a jail cell

      Justice Power!

  • a lil bee 🐝@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    25
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    5 months ago

    Might be wishful thinking or stale in 15-30 minutes but I think they at least get him on the checks. I imagine we’ll all be very disappointed if/when sentencing occurs though.

    Edit: Welp, call me pleasantly surprised. Get fucked!

    • jordanlund@lemmy.worldOPM
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      19
      ·
      5 months ago

      My prediction on sentencing is that he gets x number of 4 year terms to be served concurrently, then spends 10 years fighting it in court.

      • a lil bee 🐝@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        20
        ·
        5 months ago

        My secret wish is to see him get a form of community service that is supremely humiliating to someone like him. Show his distaste for actual work, undercut the persecution narrative by going “soft”, and kill his campaign. Honestly though, this one is going to need a good judge. It’s hard to be dispassionate when sentencing, especially in this context. Merchan seems alright, I think he’ll be fair, even if I hate it because the bastard doesn’t deserve anything but what he’s given out.

          • Handrahen@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            7
            ·
            5 months ago

            He needs some exercise, it’ll be good for him. Send him out to pick up trash in a disadvantaged neighborhood.

            • groupofcrows@lemmy.ca
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              5
              ·
              5 months ago

              Scene: Trump in prison strips, picking up garbage in Harlem while surrounded by 40 secret service and hundreds of local residents laughing at him.

      • AbidanYre@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        5 months ago

        spends 10 years fighting it

        How do I say I hope he doesn’t have that long left without getting myself banned?

      • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        5 months ago

        I’m hoping the judge puts him in jail for a month on all those contempt citations.

        Wishful thinking I know

      • dhork@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        17
        ·
        5 months ago

        No way his sentence is that high. He is a first time offender, and people caught on these types of charges typically get probation.

        I think a few years’ probation is appropriate, then he will have to campaign (and maybe even be President) while having to report to some probation officer in NYC the whole time. He might force the issue by deliberately skipping out on his meetings and double dare the judge to throw him in jail.

          • jeffw@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            8
            ·
            5 months ago

            What, are we supposed to care about campaign finance laws in the USA or something?

          • dhork@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            11
            ·
            5 months ago

            None of those charges were election interference, though. They were about lying about payments to cover stuff up.

            • JaymesRS@literature.cafe
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              12
              ·
              edit-2
              5 months ago

              Yes, but when those payments were to another party than the candidate to provide a non-monetary service to the campaign (burying news that could affect people’s actions) what’s called an in-kind contribution. If you don’t report those benefits publicly (or you try to disguise them as something else like legal fees for example), congratulations you broke election laws and interfered with the lawful election process.

              Yes “Election Interference” is a specific term of art related to the conduct of the actual election and electioneering, but it can also be understood more broadly by laypersons as anything that interferes with the legal conduct of a wider election/campaign event.

              • dhork@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                arrow-down
                6
                ·
                edit-2
                5 months ago

                Yes, everything you wrote is true, but does not change the fact that none of these 34 charges dealt with election interference directly. That will have to be done separately. I think this verdict is making that other prosecutor very happy, though, if his Jan 6 case ever goes to trial.

    • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      5 months ago

      I happened to go to my local paper’s website and saw that the jury was coming in.

      Didn’t want to watch all the talking head BS, but texted a freind to let her know.

      I think there was 15 minutes of suspense between hearing they were in and getting the news.

      Glad it wasn’t longer, I’d have plotzed.

        • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          5 months ago

          I feel like living through the Trump Era has definitely been a strain on my health, and not just because of Covid.

          From 2016 until around the middle of 2019 I found myself saying “this is unbelievable” pretty much every day.

          • El Barto@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            6
            ·
            5 months ago

            I found myself saying “this is unbelievable” pretty much every day.

            That was me in Venezuela from 1999 til 2010 more or less. After that, all hope was lost.

            American people, don’t do like Venezuela. Go out and vote!!