IANAL, but with news breaking about Jill Harth, and with Trump on tape gleefully admitting to at the very least sexual harassment, shouldn’t he be arrested for sexual misconduct if not sexual assault? What’s the law here, and the statute of limitations?
Yes, the tape of Trump verbally demeaning women is disgusting, but what is more disturbing to me is, with his words, he has established that there is a pattern of unacceptable and coercive actions he has taken in his sexual pursuit of women he finds attractive over the years. He didn’t say “one time I did X.” He said "You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful women. I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait,” and “And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything … Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”
Trump is an absolute pig, but I think the latest revelation, if it can be corroborated by heretofore unknown victims of his unwanted advances, should do more than simply end his chances at the Presidency, it should land his ass in jail.
I don’t think he has said anywhere that the actions were not consensual (quite the opposite actually) or that he improperly used a position of power to get consent; it was I “just kiss em, they let me cause I am rich and famous” as opposed to “gimme a blowjob if you want to stay on”. (and yes, it would not surprise me if he has done that, but this recording is not this)
He’s a Billionaire (yes yes I know :D). Scoring chicks is never a problem for them. You think his wives married him for his looks and winning personality?
Lack of specificity - Trump did not admit to committing any kind of involuntary, non-consensual assault/sexual assault at a given time, place, and on a specific person. Without these details, it is impossible to charge him with a specific crime that took place in the jurisdiction of a particular court.
Trump did not admit to doing anything without consent since his assertion was precisely that women would consent to him trying to flirt with, kiss, touch, etc. them because he was famous.
Corpus - even if the first two things were not issues and that Trump did admit to touching a woman with a sexual intent and without her permission at a specific time, place, and with a particular woman, there is no independent evidence that this happened (namely a specific woman’s statement alleging such an incident that corresponds with the details in his statements).
Statute of limitations - again, even assuming that there was an actual admitted assault/sexual assault here, since each state has their own laws establishing separate statutes of limitations, there is no way of telling what the time limitations would be here without knowing the location.
I cannot believe I am defending Trump here, but no he did not. Its crass, vulgar and vintage Trump, but nothing in their suggests he did anything unlawful.
Which law does the OP think Trump has broken? Please be specific and also check statute of limitations. Hint: The recently reviewed video is form 11 years ago.
Now, if we have a real, live woman who steps forward and has an actionable complaint within the last 7 years (typical of SoL), then there might be something.
Listen you two, I stated that I am not a lawyer, and was asking those here more knowledgable than I what the law and statute of limitations is. If you have answers to my questions fine. If you don’t then say so.
You’re wrong. He specifically stated that he went after Nancy O’Dell “heavy” but she rebuffed him. That certainly does not sound consensual to me. Does that mean he grabbed or groped her? No, but he did say that is something he does.
Also, Jill Harth testified that Trump did do that type of thing to her. Are you going to spin that as somehow consensual as well?
Based on what I have read, and heard from Trump’s own mouth, I consider him a sexual predator. Does what he has admitted to rise to the level of criminal activity, I think so, but again, read carefully: I am not a lawyer.
Sexual harassment is normally a civil offense not a criminal one. It may rise to the level of a crime in the workplace, but not as a matter of dating.
ganthet already answered the question properly. I can’t see anything in the video that rises to a criminal complaint, and that would be true if the tape were made yesterday.
No he is not wrong. Sexual advances that are rebuffed are not a crime. There have to be some pretty specific (jurisdiction specific) actions for it to rise to a crime. It may be a tort but not a crime.
It was explained to you that it does not rise to the level of a crime especially since he wasn’t specifically talking about anyone. In a previous post the term corpus was used. Cops have the saying “No victim no crime.”
Okay, now I think we are getting somewhere. Thanks. So if what Trump did to Nancy O’Dell was not a crime, which I am okay with stipulating, does that mean it was consensual?
Hold on. I think that needs further explanation. Criminal law (your field), not civil.
What is a sexual advance, is it physical or merely words? (in your jurisdiction if you like) Can Joe grab Jill’s crotch one time and stop when she says “no,” and not have committed a crime? Does it matter if they are friends or strangers?
Yeah, other than that it’s a slam dunk prosecution.
Seriously though, it doesn’t matter if random people on the internet go overboard with this, that’s what the internet is for. But it illustrates the possibility of Democrats overplaying it, which even in their glee the more level headed ones surely realize.
What you have is video, not just audio not just somebody saying so, of Trump crudely speaking of women then getting off the bus and all ‘charming’ to the woman in the purple dress (IMO that’s a serious part of it, rather than just what’s said on the bus). Creep. That’s really it, good stuff for anti-Trump purposes, but really no need to try to invent some phony criminal aspect.
Interestingly, there’s a story out now noting that Nancy O’Dell – the married woman he tried to move on “heavily”, the one he “failed” to bed when he “moved on her like a bitch” and so on and so forth – is somebody he then apparently tried to get fired from hosting the Miss USA pageant back when he owned it.
