# Manhattan Prosecutors file criminal charges for Trump re Stormy Daniels case - ongoing discussion here (Guilty on all 34 counts, May 30, 2024) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [March 9, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953 "2023-03-09T22:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 170
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3381 "2024-05-09T20:23:55Z")
Prosecutor Chris Conroy, during the discussion about the exception to the gag order, noted a time when Stormy Daniels’ home address was displayed accidentally on a screen during her testimony. “You could see the fear in her eyes.” As Conroy is speaking, Trump is writing a note on a Post-it. He passed it to Blanche when he finished. Prosecutor Chris Conroy says there have been “very real consequences for witnesses.” He said there have been custodial witnesses who’ve expressed fear about their safety. > “The fact that witnesses are brave enough to come in here under subpoena … shouldn’t expose them to this defendant’s barrage of threats that will put them and potentially their families in danger,” Conroy says. Modifying the gag order mid-trial would “signal to future witnesses that they could be at risk as well,” he argues. Prosecutor Chris Conroy is citing Trump’s own words from his book shown in court earlier today that Trump believes in intimidating enemies. “When you are wronged go after those people because it is a good feeling and because other people will see you doing it. Getting even is not always a personal thing. It’s just part of doing business.” Trump attorney Todd Blanche responds to the prosecution’s argument about the gag order exception by saying “everything you’ve just heard is different in kind from our request.” > “You have Ms. Daniels, who came in yesterday and today and was allowed to talk about a completely different version of events,” Blanche argues. Judge Juan Merchan stops him and asks what he’s specifically referring to. Blanche reads Daniels’ testimony about the room spinning when she was with Trump in his hotel room. > “Help me understand how that’s an alternate set of facts,” Merchan says. > “One is about consent and one is not,” Blanche says. > "I don’t see what you’re referring to as a new set of facts, as a new theory of the case,” Merchan says, addressing the gag order. Judge Juan Merchan appears to be pushing back on the Trump team’s argument in favor of the former president being allowed to speak publicly about Stormy Daniels’ testimony. > “My concern is not just the protection of Ms. Daniels, or a witness who has already testified,” Merchan says. “My concern is protecting the integrity of the proceedings.” The judge said witnesses who have not yet testified would watch Trump’s comments about Daniels if they were permitted, and that could influence their own testimony. Judge Juan Merchan denies the defense’s motion to modify the gag order so Trump can talk about Stormy Daniels. After the judge denied the motion to modify the gag order, we are moving to the defense’s mistrial motion. Todd Blanche renews Donald Trump’s motion for a mistrial saying now that the jury has heard Stormy Daniels’ testimony there’s no way this trial should go forward. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3382 "2024-05-09T20:28:56Z")
Denied. Stfu Donny ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3383 "2024-05-09T20:43:04Z")
team trump worked all day weds. on the mistrial motion… Trump attorney Todd Blanche is continuing to suggest that prosecutors asked questions they shouldn’t have during Stormy Daniels’ testimony, such as what Daniels’ reaction was to seeing Trump when she left his bathroom before their alleged sexual encounter. “It’s not relevant and it shouldn’t have been asked,” Blanche says. “That is a description that is extremely prejudicial,” the Trump attorney argues, referring to questions intended to sway the jury’s emotions against a defendant. The descriptions didn’t have anything to do with an arrangement involving Michael Cohen and the National Enquirer, which is the core issue at hand, Blanche argues. Blanche argues that prosecutors “didn’t abide by the court’s rules” in their line of questioning. He also points to the question about what their relative heights were. “How is that relevant to that case? That is so prejudicial,” he argues. Judge Juan Merchan pushes back at the defense’s arguments about anecdotes provided by Stormy Daniels during her testimony. He is saying he sustained objections to many of the accounts that Trump attorney Todd Blanche now cites in his mistrial motion. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass responds to the defense team’s motion for a mistrial by saying most of the allegations from Trump’s lawyers are “flat out untrue.” “Starting with the fact that it’s a new account — this is not a new account,” Steinglass says. “The claim of ambush is just nonsense,” Steinglass adds. “The claim of changing her story is also extraordinarily untrue.” “There may be details stated in one form but not in another form,” Steinglass says, but he says that’s not unexpected. ---
**Author:** ![Win\_Place\_Show](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/win_place_show/32/13469_2.png) [@Win\_Place\_Show](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Win_Place_Show)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3384 "2024-05-09T21:10:05Z")
Would the whole : “Our client would like the opportunity to cry and complain to the microphones set up outside in the hallway.” “Bullshit. If he’s got somethin’ to say, he can do so under oath, in that little chair right over there —\>” conversation have happened with the jury seated? I fear the answer is “no” but I would love for it to be “yes”. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3385 "2024-05-09T21:10:53Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Just to repeat the obvious, “not ever having sex with her” is not in any way a defense to these charges. In fact it actually goes against their defense: A politician paying someone they _didn’t have sex with_ to stop their allegations bouncing around during an election campaign, then falsifying the records. I’ll buy that, just. But that’s still a felony! Paying someone you didn’t have sex with 130k so your wife doesn’t find out about these totally untrue allegations? That is bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3386 "2024-05-09T21:22:12Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > Madeleine Westerhout is providing details about working for the former president. She was eventually fired from the job for talking shit about Donald’s family with reporters (claiming that she had a better relationship with donald than his daughters, and that he didn’t like to be photographed with Tiffany because of her weight) [https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/30/trumps-personal-assistant-fired-ivanka-tiffany-1479226](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/30/trumps-personal-assistant-fired-ivanka-tiffany-1479226) > [@Win\_Place\_Show](#): > > Would the whole : “Our client would like the opportunity to cry and complain to the microphones set up outside in the hallway.” > “Bullshit. If he’s got somethin’ to say, he can do so under oath, in that little chair right over there —\>” conversation have happened with the jury seated? That’s outside the presence of the jury. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2024, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3387 "2024-05-09T22:09:20Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > Todd Blanche renews Donald Trump’s motion for a mistrial saying now that the jury has heard Stormy Daniels’ testimony there’s no way this trial should go forward. Basically, “we don’t like the way this is going and would like a new trial”. In case it wasn’t clear from earlier posts, both the motion to modify the gag order and the motion for a mistrial were predictably denied. I don’t think there’s much doubt about who demanded that those motions be made, the real question is whether Blanche pushed back on the Orange One on the basis that the attempts would be futile and would just annoy the judge even more. It’s fascinating to see Trump out of his element and unable to control the narrative. He truly is a dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3388 "2024-05-09T22:11:41Z")
Trump is leaning back and stretching as the judge knocks the defense for not objecting to more of Stormy Daniels’ testimony. Merchan has mentioned several portions of the proceedings he thinks Trump’s lawyers could have objected to as he explains his ruling. Judge Juan Merchan has denied the defense’s motion for a mistrial. Merchan says he disagrees with the Trump team’s assertion that Stormy Daniels gave a new account in her testimony this week. Before the ruling, Mechan says the jurors have to decide who they believe in the case of the encounter between Donald Trump and Daniels. He notes that the people do not have to prove the encounter happened but because the defense has called her credibility into question, prosecutors have to make an effort to show her story is credible to prove their case. “The more specificity Ms. Daniels can provide about the encounter, the more the jury can weigh whether the encounter did occur and if so whether they choose to credit Ms. Daniels’ story,” Merchan says. There were “many times Ms. Necheles could have objected but didn’t,” the judge says. > “For some unexplained reason that I still don’t understand” there was no objection to certain testimony cited in the motion for a mistrial and again today, Merchan says. “Why on earth she wouldn’t object to the mention of a condom, I don’t understand,” Merchan says of Trump attorney Susan Necheles. Defence is 0 for 2. The third issue was settled when the prosecution decided against having mcdougal on the stand. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2024, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3389 "2024-05-09T22:13:03Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > necheles and daniels are now going back and forth over who and what she meant by “orange turd”. Great moments in American jurisprudence! How did this burning question get resolved? ---
**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:** [May 9, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3390 "2024-05-09T22:14:15Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > Before the ruling, Mechan says the jurors have to decide who they believe in the case of the encounter between Donald Trump and Daniels. Wasn’t it Daniels who described Trump’s mushroom-shaped appendage? Surely that could be corroborated! 😉 ---
**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:** [May 9, 2024, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3391 "2024-05-09T22:15:16Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > necheles is now going on about the “make america horny again” thing. Wait, what? 🤔 ---
**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 9, 2024, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3392 "2024-05-09T22:17:31Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Wait, what? 🤔 It was apparently the name of a strip club tour that Stormy had performed under. It was raised as an attempt to show that she banked on the controversy to her own benefit. Stormy said that the name of the tour was done against her objections, and she didn’t have any control over the language that club promoters used. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3393 "2024-05-09T22:18:30Z")
Orange turd was indeed Mr trump. Daniels was responding to a tweet of trump’s. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3394 "2024-05-09T22:24:24Z")
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass says there were “very salacious details” that were purposely omitted from Stormy Daniels’ account, saying he’s willing to make a sealed filing with those details if necessary. I reckon descriptors could be under a dealer filing… ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3395 "2024-05-09T22:32:11Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Wasn’t it Daniels who described Trump’s mushroom-shaped appendage? Surely that could be corroborated! Karen Friedman Agnifilo covers this point on MeidasTouch. She’s done it with child abuse cases. [https://youtu.be/D5FdHIRSL8E?t=580](https://youtu.be/D5FdHIRSL8E?t=580) ---
**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:** [May 9, 2024, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3396 "2024-05-09T22:38:00Z")
“Shaped like a mushroom and unusually small”. 😆 I want this to become a major point in the trial just so that it’s splashed all over the media, and only for the effect that this would have on the short-fingered vulgarian’s blood pressure and ketchup supply! ---
**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 9, 2024, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3397 "2024-05-09T22:40:49Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I want this to become a major point in the trial just so that it’s splashed all over the media, and only for the effect that this would have on the short-fingered vulgarian’s blood pressure and ketchup supply! I don’t. I really detest Trump and relish any opportunity to denigrate and emasculate him. But that would be overly prejudicial and unnecessary, and the point of the trial is to get justice, not just humiliate him. Especially if that might risk making the trial go off-track and bring legitimacy to attempts to appeal a conviction. I don’t hate the _idea_ of extremely humiliating details coming out in this or any other trial, however. ---
**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 9, 2024, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3398 "2024-05-09T22:43:17Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > “For some unexplained reason that I still don’t understand” there was no objection to certain testimony cited in the motion for a mistrial and again today, Merchan says. I read that as “you are a bunch of inept lawyers - don’t blame the court for that.” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2024, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3399 "2024-05-10T00:11:51Z")
To all, minor modnote, please cite your sources. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2024, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953/3400 "2024-05-10T00:30:00Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > Mechan says the jurors have to decide who they believe in the case of the encounter between Donald Trump and Daniels. > > He notes that the people do not have to prove the encounter happened but because the defense has called her credibility into question, prosecutors have to make an effort to show her story is credible to prove their case. Can we just pause to relish this moment: the whole reason that the judge allowed them to get into the tawdry details of the sex encounter was because _donald made it an issue_. If he had conceded that it happened, and just focused age defense on whether a coverup occurred, they could have kept Daniels’ testimony out, or severely curtailed. But his lawyers have argued (including in the opening), that _it didn’t happen_. That makes her credibility an issue. Donald played himself. > [@rocking\_chair](#): > > Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass says there were “very salacious details” that were purposely omitted from Stormy Daniels’ account One thing mentioned by talking heads on the teevee was that Daniels, who was 27 at the time, had never intimately felt a man in his 60s, and it was weird for her. Meanwhile, I like how the prosecutor has alternated book excerpts (about how controlling and miserly donald is) with employees who basically confirmed the same thing. Then they balanced Daniels with more book excerpts about being ruthless and vengeful. It’s rare that a defendant has written _extensively_ about his thoughts and feelings. It’s like trying to prosecute the unabomber by quoting his manifesto; except these statements are being verified by book editors who are saying “yep, that’s what he wrote.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953.md?page=169) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhattan-prosecutors-file-criminal-charges-for-trump-re-stormy-daniels-case-ongoing-discussion-here-guilty-on-all-34-counts-may-30-2024/980953.md?page=171)