The trials and tribulations of an ex-president (including SCOTUS on the 14th amendment)

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  • Giuliani's was a lower court ruling. When rich people lose in lower courts, they very frequently win on appeal. I am not cheering yet.
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    edited August 2023
    deleted
  • HarryCHHarryCH Shipmate
    I hope Giuliani is required to pay a lot more than the legal costs.
  • CrœsosCrœsos Shipmate
    edited August 2023
    Gramps49 wrote: »
    Let me correct myself. Prosecutors are seeking the following sentences

    Enrique Tarrio, 33
    Ethan Nordean, 27
    Joe Biggs, 30
    Zach Rehl, 30

    Dominic Pezzola, the only Proud Boy leader not convicted of seditious conspiracy, but was convicted of other charges, got 20 years already.

    The bet is the others will get what the prosecutors want.

    Joseph Biggs 26257-509 has been sentenced to 17 years. Biggs claims he was seduced into his actions on January 6.
    Biggs acknowledged to the judge that he “messed up that day,” but he blamed being “seduced by the crowd” of Trump supporters outside the Capitol and said he’s not a violent person or “a terrorist.”

    My curiosity got the better of me, and I’ll have to live with that for the rest of my life,” he said, claiming he didn’t have “hate in my heart” and didn’t want to hurt people.

    That crowd was so seductive and naturally he was curious, so of course he couldn't help himself.
  • EnochEnoch Shipmate
    JonahMan wrote: »
    One can only wonder what that information is, that it is worth thousands of dollars not to be revealed - something criminal perhaps?
    Might it be something, a letter, an email, say, that incriminates himself or Trump?

    There's a privilege in the USA about self-incrimination but is that available in a civil suit about something else, and even if it is, can one plead it to protect the incrimination of anyone other than oneself?

  • CrœsosCrœsos Shipmate
    Enoch wrote: »
    JonahMan wrote: »
    One can only wonder what that information is, that it is worth thousands of dollars not to be revealed - something criminal perhaps?
    Might it be something, a letter, an email, say, that incriminates himself or Trump?

    There's a privilege in the USA about self-incrimination but is that available in a civil suit about something else, and even if it is, can one plead it to protect the incrimination of anyone other than oneself?

    The Fifth Amendment states (in part):
    No person . . . shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself

    This applies to any time anyone gives sworn testimony, whether in a criminal trial, a civil trial, or even before Congress. (Remember Iran-Contra?) So even in a civil trial Giuliani could refuse to testify.

    However, the Fifth Amendment does not cover writings, documents, or records. Giuliani can refuse to testify in person about his various activities but he does not have the right to refuse to produce documents that he previously created of his own free will, which is what he's refusing to do here and why he suffered a default judgment.
  • Turns out Governor Kemp of Georgia has said he is going to follow the Constitution and laws of Georgia and will not allow the legislature to interfere with the office of the Fulton County District Attorney. The Legislature had been looking for ways to discontinue the prosecution of DJT by either defunding the investigation or impeaching Ms Willis or referring her to the specially created Prosecuting Attorney Qualification Commission which could disqualify her. The constitutionality of that commission is being challenged by several district attorneys in the Georgia court system as it is anyways.

    All ahead full.
  • CrœsosCrœsos Shipmate
    edited September 2023
    The former guy's legal calendar keeps getting more crowded. Apparently he's suing his former lawyer, Michael Cohen 86067-054, for allegedly lying about Trump P01135809 and violating attorney-client privilege. Most regard this as retaliation for Cohen 86067-054's earlier, successful suit against Trump. Well, this happened:
    Donald Trump is being ordered to come into court as soon as possible in a lawsuit that he had launched against his former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

    In an unusual move, the judge updated the legal filing of Donald Trump's counter-suit late on Friday afternoon (below) demanding that his lawyers appear in court on the next business day.

    <snip>

    While Trump announced the suit in April, little has happened since then, according to the legal updates. Typically, when a lawsuit is filed there are several appearances in court and updates on the online docket. This has been largely silent, with nothing other than a deposition scheduled for Sept. 6 "at a law office in Miami," NBC News reported in July.

    Cohen's attorney, Ben Brodsky, told NBC at the time that Trump's deposition notice "functions like a subpoena."

    "He can’t avoid it, though he could dismiss the case," Brodsky explained.

    “I look forward to Donald’s deposition under oath and proving the frivolous nature of the lawsuit,” Cohen said in a July statement.

    But by Friday, the judge demanded an in-person hearing for the next business day, which is the day before the deposition was scheduled. Such appearances don't generally happen without warning, much less a late Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend.

    I guess we'll find out what this is about on Tuesday. Incidentally, in addition to being the scheduled date for the deposition September 6 was also the date Trump P01135809 was supposed to get arraigned in Georgia. He relieved himself of that obligation by pleading "not guilty" in advance.

    As I said, the former guy's legal calendar is getting pretty full.
  • In case you missed it, former Proud Boys boss Henry "Enrique" Tarrio 98721-004 was sentenced to 22 years in prison yesterday. This is the longest sentence handed down for a January 6th defendant to date.
  • Not nearly enough, in my opinion. CBS was saying the judge threw the book at him. Not when the prosecutors were asking for 33 years. When will he be up for probation?
  • CrœsosCrœsos Shipmate
    edited September 2023
    Gramps49 wrote: »
    Not nearly enough, in my opinion. CBS was saying the judge threw the book at him. Not when the prosecutors were asking for 33 years. When will he be up for probation?

    Federal guidelines allow supervised release once 85% of the sentence is served, or at least that was the case the last time I checked. IANAL. Most of Tarrio 98721-004's fellow January 6 defendants have been granted credit for the time they've already spent in pre-trial federal custody, so that has to be factored in as well.

    On a separate legal matter, those who are interested can watch the Fulton County pre-trial hearing live here.
  • Maybe it's just me, but from here, anyway, I don't see much emotional difference between 22 years and 33 years. I'm more concerned about whether he's likely to repeat his behavior after getting out some day--and I understand that mere age makes a difference in some crimes.
  • ArethosemyfeetArethosemyfeet Shipmate, Heaven Host
    Maybe it's just me, but from here, anyway, I don't see much emotional difference between 22 years and 33 years. I'm more concerned about whether he's likely to repeat his behavior after getting out some day--and I understand that mere age makes a difference in some crimes.

    I think you may be right. When you're punishing sedition I think there's a bigger aspect of deterrence than with a lot of other crimes. You want to avoid people even trying it, because even failed attempt are enormously damaging, so exemplary punishments pour décourager les autres [to discourage the others] are necessary. 22 years probably works just as well as 33 years. One wonders what might have been different had a certain Austrian WWI veteran done 22 years in Landsberg prison rather than the 5 he was given or the 9 months he served.
  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    Any chance of a certain ex President getting an equal sentence for his crimes?
  • So what happened to his ratings and income yesterday after he lost the second E Jean Carroll defamation case?
  • Martin54 wrote: »
    So what happened to his ratings and income yesterday after he lost the second E Jean Carroll defamation case?

    This is a difficult question. Are you talking about the national averages, or just the Republican Numbers? Turns out the national averages show Trump's unfavorable v favorable ratings have been widening. There was a 12% spread the first of June. Now it is a 16% spread. The Republican numbers show that Trump has not changed very much. DeSantis, though, has dropped like a rock.

    Since the second Carroll defamation case has just been decided, it will take at least a week to see any change. But, I think the more deciding factors will be what happens with the felony indictments.
  • I suspect that we've reached the point where things like the second Carroll case are just more noise in the atmosphere. They would sink anybody else, but with this guy he's already so far over the norms that anybody who can be put off him, probably has been already. Though if he gets convicted of a felony, that's a new level of Awful™ and may shave a few more percentage points off his ratings. But just losing another case, or paying another fine? Eh.
  • Martin54 wrote: »
    So what happened to his ratings and income yesterday after he lost the second E Jean Carroll defamation case?

    I find it interesting that @Martin54 used the term "ratings" instead of polling or some other term more common in determining political popularity. Like politics is some kind of entertainment, not something that affects millions of lives. I've always despised that view of politics.
  • Well, the dude was on TV. I've wondered if he can even tell the difference between TV and real life. He seems to have the gravitational effect of a black hole when it comes to skewing other people's viewpoints, too. Which is absurd, but there it is.

    I hope somebody does a really GOOD scientific study of charisma based on this dude, because he's so unlikable that I think he'd make a decent test case--like a chemically pure substance...
  • Our leader may be an odious, lying, raping, murdering, fascist traitor, but he's our odious, lying, raping, murdering, fascist traitor.
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    edited September 2023
    I don't care for the implications of that. Was it directed at my post in particular?
  • I don't care for the implications of that. Was it directed at my post in particular?

    What?! Of course not! It was a satire on mass support for evil leaders. British liberals - myself included - still regard Churchill as the man of the hour.
  • Crœsos wrote: »
    Martin54 wrote: »
    So what happened to his ratings and income yesterday after he lost the second E Jean Carroll defamation case?

    I find it interesting that @Martin54 used the term "ratings" instead of polling or some other term more common in determining political popularity. Like politics is some kind of entertainment, not something that affects millions of lives. I've always despised that view of politics.

    Me too.
  • Martin54 wrote: »
    I don't care for the implications of that. Was it directed at my post in particular?

    What?! Of course not! It was a satire on mass support for evil leaders. British liberals - myself included - still regard Churchill as the man of the hour.

    Wasn't Churchill a Conservative? In any case, history now shows he had a dark side too. But, hey, his your legacy.
  • Gramps49 wrote: »
    Martin54 wrote: »
    I don't care for the implications of that. Was it directed at my post in particular?

    What?! Of course not! It was a satire on mass support for evil leaders. British liberals - myself included - still regard Churchill as the man of the hour.

    Wasn't Churchill a Conservative? In any case, history now shows he had a dark side too. But, hey, his your legacy.

    That's the point. He was appalling. And fantastic.
  • Martin54 wrote: »
    I don't care for the implications of that. Was it directed at my post in particular?

    What?! Of course not! It was a satire on mass support for evil leaders. British liberals - myself included - still regard Churchill as the man of the hour.

    Speak for yourself.
  • Gramps49 wrote: »
    In any case, history now shows he had a dark side too.

    Who hasn’t?
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    I suspect that we've reached the point where things like the second Carroll case are just more noise in the atmosphere. They would sink anybody else, but with this guy he's already so far over the norms that anybody who can be put off him, probably has been already. Though if he gets convicted of a felony, that's a new level of Awful™ and may shave a few more percentage points off his ratings. But just losing another case, or paying another fine? Eh.

    Agree completely. His supporters aren't re-thinking anything at this point; they're totally bought-in true believers. The Republican nomination is Trump's to lose.

    I wish Biden were younger. I wish the Democrats weren't so hopeless at messaging. I'm deeply afraid enough people will stay home and the voter suppression in key states will be bad enough that Biden will lose the electoral college and this will be the last free and fair election we have in my lifetime.
  • KarlLB wrote: »
    Martin54 wrote: »
    I don't care for the implications of that. Was it directed at my post in particular?

    What?! Of course not! It was a satire on mass support for evil leaders. British liberals - myself included - still regard Churchill as the man of the hour.

    Speak for yourself.

    I do and obviously a great many liberals even here. I still believe he sacrificed Coventry.
  • Evidence?
  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    edited September 2023
    That he sacrificed Coventry? Yeah I have evidence. Enough for my belief. I can't transfer it. It's a personal anecdote. It was from personal conversation with the highest profile disgraced historian of recent times if not of all time. In blood chilling detail. There's an image I cannot find of Churchill looking up, in a helmet, to the left, as I doubtless wrongly recall, on the air ministry roof, on a night in November 1940, possibly, most probably, the night of the 14th. It's the story behind that.
  • Seems - shall we say - ambiguous. But perhaps this is not the place to pursue the issue.
    I guess the 'Codebreaker's Dilemma' lies behind the story.
  • Eirenist wrote: »
    Seems - shall we say - ambiguous. But perhaps this is not the place to pursue the issue.
    I guess the 'Codebreaker's Dilemma' lies behind the story.

    Churchill was taking no risks whatsoever on the Air Ministry roof.
  • la vie en rougela vie en rouge Purgatory Host, Circus Host
    If you want to discuss Churchill's legacy, a new thread might be a good idea.

    la vie en rouge, Purgatory host
  • Sorry.
  • la vie en rougela vie en rouge Purgatory Host, Circus Host
    edited September 2023
    No need to apologise, anyone who wants to start a thread on Churchill is welcome to do so. It could be an interesting topic.

    Back to Trump on this one.
  • CrœsosCrœsos Shipmate
    edited September 2023
    In a blast from the past, former Trump advisor Peter Navarro has been convicted of contempt of Congress for ignoring subpœnas from the January 6 Committee.
    Former Donald Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro has been convicted of contempt of Congress for not complying to a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

    Navarro is the second ex-aide to the former president to be prosecuted for his lack of cooperation with the committee. Steve Bannon was convicted last year on two contempt counts. Bannon’s case is currently on appeal.

    Navarro pledged to appeal based on executive privilege issues.

    The CNN article does not mention it, but Donald Trump never publicly asserted executive privilege over Navarro and Navarro has not produced any evidence to substantiate his bare claim that he did. The jury took four hours to deliberate.
  • It is making sense. Seems like all the Proud Boys got about 2/3 of the prosecutors recommended sentences. Turns out, the judge that heard the cases was appointed by Trump.
  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    edited September 2023
    Gramps49 wrote: »
    It is making sense. Seems like all the Proud Boys got about 2/3 of the prosecutors recommended sentences. Turns out, the judge that heard the cases was appointed by Trump.

    Does that infer (not imply) that he was too lenient? These people are frontier wild men, barbarians. A mob of pawns. They didn't pull security on the Capitol.
  • Martin54 wrote: »
    Gramps49 wrote: »
    It is making sense. Seems like all the Proud Boys got about 2/3 of the prosecutors recommended sentences. Turns out, the judge that heard the cases was appointed by Trump.

    Does that infer (not imply) that he was too lenient? These people are frontier wild men, barbarians. A mob of pawns. They didn't pull security on the Capitol.

    I would argue that it definitely does imply excess leniency (relative to the sentencing guidelines). Obviously that it me inferring such leniency. Is that what you meant?

    AFZ
  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    edited September 2023
    Martin54 wrote: »
    Gramps49 wrote: »
    It is making sense. Seems like all the Proud Boys got about 2/3 of the prosecutors recommended sentences. Turns out, the judge that heard the cases was appointed by Trump.

    Does that infer (not imply) that he was too lenient? These people are frontier wild men, barbarians. A mob of pawns. They didn't pull security on the Capitol.

    I would argue that it definitely does imply excess leniency (relative to the sentencing guidelines). Obviously that it me inferring such leniency. Is that what you meant?

    AFZ

    Given that those are the guidelines (ref.?), then your inference of 'excess' (sic) leniency could be valid. Is 2/3rds excessive?
  • Martin54 wrote: »
    Martin54 wrote: »
    Gramps49 wrote: »
    It is making sense. Seems like all the Proud Boys got about 2/3 of the prosecutors recommended sentences. Turns out, the judge that heard the cases was appointed by Trump.

    Does that infer (not imply) that he was too lenient? These people are frontier wild men, barbarians. A mob of pawns. They didn't pull security on the Capitol.

    I would argue that it definitely does imply excess leniency (relative to the sentencing guidelines). Obviously that it me inferring such leniency. Is that what you meant?

    AFZ

    Given that those are the guidelines (ref.?), then your inference of 'excess' (sic) leniency could be valid. Is 2/3rds excessive?

    IANAL. Nor am I an American for that matter. But I do know how the federal sentencing works though because I've listened to enough detailed explanations by expert lawyers.

    The federal sentencing is a matrix. You plug in the level of offence and then some factors like first-time offender vs multiple previous convictions. That then spews out a number. The judges then have discretion* about whether they give a greater or lesser sentence. As I understand it, though, there is supposed to be some justification from the details of the case to justify an upward or downward departure from the guideline.

    I do not know the details but I don't think it an unreasonable inference that the judge may have been lenient specifically because he is a Trump appointee. Whether that is accurate or not, is a different question.

    AFZ

    *depending on the offence there may be curtailed discretion such as mandatory minimums which are self explanatory.
  • I find it all terribly brittle. A second rate democracy, seething with pirates, trying to stay afloat.

    Related tangent, why isn't the Georgia case federal?
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    Martin54 wrote: »
    Related tangent, why isn't the Georgia case federal?

    Because we don't have a single federal election for president, we have 50 state elections. Trump tried to mess with the election in Georgia, which is an offense against that state and its electorate.
  • ArethosemyfeetArethosemyfeet Shipmate, Heaven Host
    Ruth wrote: »
    Martin54 wrote: »
    Related tangent, why isn't the Georgia case federal?

    Because we don't have a single federal election for president, we have 50 state elections. Trump tried to mess with the election in Georgia, which is an offense against that state and its electorate.

    Plus, despite what Meadows claimed, elections form no part of the duties of the White House Chief of Staff.
  • Meadows will appeal. The appeal process can take some time. The scenario could be that the state will take him and the others to trial while the federal appeals process unfolds. If he wins in the appeals process, the indictment would be thrown out because of double jeopardy.

    That's what I think they said could happen on MSNBC.

    But I am sure our SoF Bar Association will clarify this.
  • Martin54 wrote: »
    Related tangent, why isn't the Georgia case federal?

    Let me direct you to United States of America v. Donald Trump [PDF], the federal prosecution against Donald Trump for conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstructing an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. These are all federal charges against Trump stemming from his attempt to subvert the 2020 presidential election and was discussed earlier on this thread. You even commented on this (twice!) at the time.
  • Martin54Martin54 Suspended
    edited September 2023
    Thanks Ruth. So he didn't commit a federal offense on Georgia?
    Crœsos wrote: »
    Martin54 wrote: »
    Related tangent, why isn't the Georgia case federal?

    Let me direct you to United States of America v. Donald Trump [PDF], the federal prosecution against Donald Trump for conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstructing an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. These are all federal charges against Trump stemming from his attempt to subvert the 2020 presidential election and was discussed earlier on this thread. You even commented on this (twice!) at the time.

    No thanks. Just tell me. Does that specifically include Georgia?
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    It includes all the states in which Trump tried to get slates of false electors certified.
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