Hmm. I’m far from expert, and apologies for not researching in depth before posting this, but my understanding was that felon voting in FL was not restricted to incarceration in prison. I thought it was “completion of sentence and probation.”
Just to remind everyone, Trump’s lawyers explicitly told the judge they were not going to rely on the advice of counsel defense. (doing so involves waiving attorney client privilege). When they later tried it, having failed to waive the privilege, the judge properly shut them down.
But he wasn’t President when the crime was committed (which was kind of the point of the prosecution).
Not that it will matter to his SCotUS stooges. I’m reasonably certain that Alito and/or Thomas can come up with some rationale, the logic of which would be tortured to the point that the Spanish Inquisition would turn green with envy,
Having been elected (as willed by God and his representatives on Earth, the Republican Party), he was washed of all his sins, retroactively gaining immunity for all his past transgressions. He shall go forth and sin no more, for if the president does it, it’s not a sin.
No, you are mistaken. He was not convicted of election fraud. He was convicted of business fraud. It was not a felony except for the fact of the cover-up. He was in the White House at the time of the fraud for which he was convicted, and therefore would be covered by blanket executive immunity.
Okay, legal eagles, is this in fact likely to be overturned on appeal? Because they could choose among three scenarios and only had to be unanimous on the choice, not on which scenario they chose?
Their legal guy is pretty stupid. Merchan said that they needn’t agree on the underlying crime, but they did need to be unanimous that an underlying crime occurred. Why did Merchan give such a crazy instruction? Because that’s what the law says.
In fact, when the defense proposed that the jury instructions include the need for unanimity in deciding on the associated crime, Merchan shut that down immediately. The law says what it says, was His Honor’s position, and we will not be making new law here.
(Responding to “Bloviator”, not jsc1953)
No, because Trump intentionally declared his candidacy earlier than normal, precisely because he knew there were indictments coming down and he could claim election interference if he was already a candidate. But anyone with half a brain already knows that.
Pardon me for being ignorant, but what were these three possibilities?
FWIW, Hugh Hewitt was on NPR this morning, making the same “lack of unanimity” case.
You’ve got to hand it to the Right Wing … they get their talking points straight.
Yeah, straight from outta their asses. 
I wonder if Trump did.
Trump’s on TV right now. The first few minutes of his “press conference” is just a slightly longer version of his daily whine. Having gotten through that, he’s now expounding on particular grievances one by one.
The CNN crew noted that shortly before Trump came out, his team removed the teleprompter that had been set up for him. So even his own people don’t know what the next thing to come out of his mouth will be.
I’m glad others are willing to look at his face and report back to those of us who really don’t want to.
Judge Juan Merchan explains that the jury must determine whether Trump conspired to promote a person to or prevent a person from public office by unlawful means. They must be unanimous on that fact but not on the unlawful means. Merchan explains the prosecution has three theories of those unlawful means:
- Violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act, otherwise known as FECA
- Falsification of other business records
- Violations of tax laws
I’m watching with captions on and sound off. I can’t listen to that awful whiny voice. But it’s just word salad, as usual.
I hope lots of people are watching. He’s just deranged, and it shows when he’s doing these rants.
sorry, i have it on mute. i just see a lot of hand accordion.
for the brief moment it took me to mute, he was saying salacious and never happened.
I always hear concertina music whenever he does that.
for me it is more of a wheezy ehhhh sound.