# Did Tump just defame Judge Merchan? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [May 30, 2024, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295 "2024-05-30T21:38:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295/21 "2024-05-31T04:33:29Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > If he gets a harsher sentence, he could skip the country claiming to be a “martyr in exile” and his followers would believe him. And good riddance. ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295/22 "2024-05-31T04:41:50Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > I have a related question. In New York, is contempt of court a legitimate reason to move towards of the upper range in sentencing? My guess is no, contempt of court might be the subject of a separate process and sanction, but it’s not relevant to the proper sentence for this offence. However factors which are relevant would include: - whether the defendant displays any insight into his offending behaviour - whether the defendant expresses remorse. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295/23 "2024-05-31T04:42:32Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I’m not sure it’s the wisest thing to do, insulting the judge in the interval between being found guilty and being sentenced for it. It is, however, very Trumpian. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295/24 "2024-05-31T04:48:50Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > If he gets a harsher sentence, he could skip the country claiming to be a “martyr in exile” and his followers would believe him. Hell, there would be Congresscritters that would back him on that… I would strongly encourage them to join him, and his “government in exile”. I hope they enjoy their dacha in Irkutsk. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295/25 "2024-05-31T04:56:30Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > I haven’t followed every case against Trump and probably he hasn’t yet been arraigned on many of the bigger ones yet. The Georgia election count? The classified files? Trump was arraigned June 14, 2023 in the classified documents case. Trump was arraigned August 3, 2023 in the Criminal conspiracy to interfere with the election case Trump was arraigned Sept 1, 2023 in the Geogia election interference case ---
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295/26 "2024-05-31T05:02:32Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Trump was arraigned June 14, 2023 in the classified documents case. So Judge Merchan has managed to actually hold the entire trial right up to the verdict and we’re just now waiting for the sentencing. In that same period of time Judge Cannon has tried and repeatedly failed to find her ass with both hands. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295/27 "2024-05-31T05:59:27Z")
> [@Jihi](#): > > In that same period of time Judge Cannon has tried and repeatedly failed to find her ass with both hands. In her defense… I got nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295/28 "2024-05-31T17:15:13Z")
Those are, I reckon, the “worst” stuff he’s done. The Jan 6 coup stuff won’t be heard any year soon . Even if there is bail his campaign/GOP would pay for it. He’ll be the nominee. Decent chance to win perhaps with DeSantis as VP. Maybe they’ll make a deal that Trump gets Covid 2025 and has to resign and Desantis pardons everything including the state charges as who is going to stop him? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2024, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295/29 "2024-06-01T02:51:27Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > including the state charges as who is going to stop him? Reality? State charges are simply not on the table for a presidential pardon. Unless you suppose future president desantis does a military takeover of the State of New York. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295/30 "2024-07-02T03:13:46Z")
[Biden says ruling on Trump undermines rule of law](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c51yx1n15y4o) > The three liberal justices on the Supreme Court strongly dissented from the decision. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said: “ **The President is now a king above the law**.” It may be too early or too late to call the decisions of the Supreme Court that Trump hails as a great day for democracy a “slippery slope”. Now rulings are muddied up by determining “official” and “unofficial” acts. I do not think Jefferson quite defined when Presidents doing illegal things can be parsed. You say “President DeSantis” and perhaps in early June that seemed more possible. As of now my crystal ball shows DeSantis gets to do official and unofficial criminal acts as President is only if he’s part of a winning Trump/Desantis ticket and _something_ happens to Trump. Yet in that case the only _something_ that can happen to Trump - whether it happens in New York, Georgia or anywhere else - it won’t the be result of any criminal prosecution. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tump-just-defame-judge-merchan/1002295.md?page=1)