# FBI Search and Seizure at Trump's Mar-A-Lago Residence, August 8, 2022, Case Dismissed July 15, 2024 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [August 8, 2022, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329 "2022-08-08T23:18:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 348
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6941 "2023-07-21T18:09:24Z")
If Trump wins, it’ll be interesting to see if a president can pardon himself. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6942 "2023-07-21T18:11:17Z")
If Trump wins, despite being convicted and/or still being on trial for numerous felony charges, whether he can pardon himself will be the least of my concerns. It will mean our country is finished. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6943 "2023-07-21T18:16:58Z")
Those 1100 days of surveillance–wouldn’t they likely include lots of times where nothing is happening on-camera? I suspect that the footage with no motion in it can be filtered out, making that part easier. I’m also thinking about political trials where convictions have been thrown out because the prosecution didn’t turn evidence over to the defense, and I’m wondering whether the prosecution is just turning over everything in an abundance of caution, even though most of it cannot possibly be exculpatory; it would really suck for a conviction to be overturned because they didn’t turn something over. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6944 "2023-07-21T18:31:31Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > If Trump wins, it’ll be interesting to see if a president can pardon himself. One theory is that he can get a colonoscopy and make VP Kari Lake the acting president while he is under anaesthesia, who would then pardon him. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6945 "2023-07-21T18:31:53Z")
Yeah - I’d bet my bottom dollar that the vast majority of that paper/video is irrelevant and immaterial. It ain’t like the defendant is proceeding in forma pauperis. He’s a (purported) billionaire, able to access the latest AI to separate the wheat from the chaff. In nearly every case I’ve encountered, if a couple of thousand pages and a couple of days of video are enough to clearly establish the points in dispute, it is EXCEEDINGLY unlikely that the remainder will contain enough to outweigh that. I am so tired of attorneys ignoring the one or two pages that are case determinative (against their claim), and instead, urging me to consider “the cumulative weight of the lengthy record!” Nearly always a bullshit strategy by a lazy and/or incompetent attorney. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6946 "2023-07-21T18:37:26Z")
I’m reminded of Tucker Carlson’s creative airing of some of the 44,000 hours of Jan6 video. I think I referenced that as: If we all watch a man kill his wife on live TV, but then Tucker Carlson shows you videotape of the couple’s joyous wedding day, 25 years ago, will you believe that the husband is innocent? I’d imagine quite a bit of that same dynamic will be at play WRT the Mar-A-Lago evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6947 "2023-07-21T18:40:57Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Yeah - I’d bet my bottom dollar that the vast majority of that paper/video is irrelevant and immaterial. It ain’t like the defendant is proceeding in forma pauperis. He’s a (purported) billionaire, able to access the latest AI to separate the wheat from the chaff. Oh, I agree. All I’m saying is that the defence doesn’t just take the word of the prosecution as to what’s wheat and what’s chaff. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6948 "2023-07-21T18:54:27Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > One theory is that he can get a colonoscopy and make VP Kari Lake the acting president while he is under anaesthesia, who would then pardon him. Interesting but exceedingly unlikely. He was so loath to give up control while in office he refused anesthesia for his colonoscopy as that would potentially leave Pence temporarily in charge. I doubt there’s anybody he trusts enough not to backstab him while he’s unconscious, except maybe Ivanka (who he did try to push as his VP candidate the last time). ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6949 "2023-07-21T19:10:36Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I can imagine the con man threw Cannon a biscuit, saying “who’s a good girl? YOU’RE a good girl!” The amount of time between indictment and trial date in the New York case (3/30/2023 and 3/25/2024 respectively) is two weeks longer than the federal delay period (6/9/2023 and 5/20/2024). I have a serious question, although it is hard to word it seriously. Is there some reason to think Trump threw New York Justice Juan Merchan a bigger biscuit? I hope it is explained by the New York case having a bit more discovery or complexity by some standard measure. If so, what is the measure? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6950 "2023-07-21T20:32:52Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > I hope it is explained by the New York case having a bit more discovery or complexity by some standard measure. I could be that the NY state courts are just more jammed up than federal courts. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6951 "2023-07-21T20:34:53Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > most of the time i was on a jury we got out of the court building between 3:30-4pm. rarely did the time in the jury box go past 4pm. Interestingly, my experience with the L.A. Superior Court matches yours pretty much. However, my sister is currently serving on a federal jury (criminal), and she hasn’t gotten to leave before 5:00 or even 5:30 yet. And , man, is she bitching about it. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6952 "2023-07-21T20:37:09Z")
In my experience, Federal Courts have longer trial days. (and shorter breaks) They like to keep things moving. I did have a judge in KY once that made us go to at least 5:30 every day for trial. In Seattle, there is typically a 4:30 end time. Anchorage courts have trials from 8:30 to 1:30 and use the afternoons for hearings etc, on other cases. Jurors love it. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6953 "2023-07-21T20:39:00Z")
Yeah, and when we had afternoon sessions we always had two hours for lunch. Tons of time to wander to J town or over to Olvera Street. My sister’s only getting an hour. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6954 "2023-07-21T20:57:56Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I am so tired of attorneys ignoring the one or two pages that are case determinative (against their claim), and instead, urging me to consider “the cumulative weight of the lengthy record!” Nearly always a bullshit strategy by a lazy and/or incompetent attorney. “But hey, there are eight and a half months of video footage that show him not committing espionage!” > [@Procrustus](#): > > Anchorage courts have trials from 8:30 to 1:30 So, dawn to dusk? ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6955 "2023-07-21T22:29:18Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > may 20th 2024 is the date set for the mar a lago trial. it appears that she went half way between what both sides requested. I thought Trump’s team requested an indefinite delay? Did I miss an update? Or conflating it with something else? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6956 "2023-07-21T22:38:32Z")
“Indefinite delay” just means “until Trump is maybe president again so that he can make this all go away.” May 20th is about halfway between the end of the year and Election Day 2024. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6957 "2023-07-21T22:54:32Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > I thought Trump’s team requested an indefinite delay? Did I miss an update? Or conflating it with something else? I don’t think they requested an indefinite delay in those words, they just basically said, “Hey, let’s not finalize a date at this time.” ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6958 "2023-07-21T23:01:19Z")
This is correct and what Trump argued in the motion. However, later at the hearing when pressed by the Judge for an exact date, they admitted they wanted it to be after the election. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6959 "2023-07-21T23:38:00Z")
> [@knavette57](#): > > We seriously need reform in campaign contributions. What, you have a problem with the fact that US presidential campaigns **[cost more than the entire GDP of many countries](https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/02/2020-cycle-cost-14p4-billion-doubling-16/)**? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/6960 "2023-07-22T03:17:54Z")
> [@CoolHandCox](#): > > However, later at the hearing when pressed by the Judge for an exact date, they admitted they wanted it to be after the election. Thanks! I had missed that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329.md?page=347) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329.md?page=349)