“Puts Trump in a box”: Experts say Judge Chutkan just forced Trump to “put up or shut up” on defense – Trump could be forced to turn over private communications with his attorneys — or lose his key defense

by Picture-unrelated

18 comments

  1. Chutkin had been nothing but fair every step. This makes sense.

  2. this is gonna stick … Trump’s in double jeopardy now

    > Chutkan in her order on Wednesday wrote that while federal rules “do not expressly require advance notice of the advice-of-counsel defense” but “because waiting until trial to invoke the defense—and comply with the disclosure obligations it triggers—could cause disruption and delay, some district courts have concluded that they nonetheless have inherent authority to order defendants to provide advance notice if they intend to do assert the defense.”

  3. I wouldn’t trust Trump or his slag lawyers to turn over all the required docs. After all, he does have a history of lying about documents he purposely hid.

  4. Who would have thought that defending yourself against 91 indictments would be so hard.

  5. The orange weirdo can’t comprehend anything but a participation trophy…

  7. So, as a non-lawyer who has kept tabs on Trump’s legal issues for several years, here is my take.

    This scares the shit out of Trump’s team.

    Let’s think back to 2019, when Rudy was visiting Ukraine and “investigating” Biden with his Eastern European buds (now in jail).

    Trump was often asked if Rudy was his attorney. He was cagey on that. Why?

    1. If Rudy was acting as a representative of the US government, then his actions had the weight of the US behind it…**but**, he [Rudy] was accountable to the public as a public servant.
    2. If Rudy was acting as Trump’s personal attorney, then he was only accountable to his client, but he didn’t have the power of the US behind him.

    Trump wanted both to be true: Rudy would have the power of a government official ***but not the accountability***

    This is telling for Trump’s current situation, because he would like to keep “Blame my Lawyers” as a defense while also not letting the government know what they talked about.

    In 2016, Trump ran on Hillary being corrupt and evasive. That wasn’t to say he thinks those things are *bad*. On the contrary, that’s 100% how he has acted as President. He just doesn’t want anyone to look into *his* corruption.

    And the right wing media ecosystem has been complicit in that.

    Case in point: the right-wing website Judicial Watch did a ton of FOIA requests to track every nickel and dime that Obama spent on personal travel while President. They said that POTUS was accountable to the public for his personal travel (golf outings, family vacays, etc.).

    Yet, they gave that shit up a year into Trump’s administration when it became clear that Trump would outspend Obama’s 8-year travel tab in under 4 years with his constant trips to his personal, private golf clubs.

    Team Trump **h-a-t-e-s** personal accountability, so he wants to be able to sacrifice his lawyers without the public knowing about what he told them

  8. Would this include Giuliani? Was never sure he was ‘official’ to Trump while in office.

  9. Trump is guilty AF. no way he hands over his private comms. that is a 100% lose action. he has a 1% better chance at not handing anything over.

  10. Smith has a very smart paralegal and a very informed/autistic researcher. I am LOVING this.

  12. I’ll believe in anything re: justice for the wealthy AND well connected when Trump is actually forced to see a day in jail or more than just mug-shots and courtroom “That’s fine Mr. Trump, pay this fine, see you- have a nice day!” stuff I’m sorry to say.

  13. “My lawyers gave me bad advice!”

    “Can we see these lawyer statements?”

    “No, but they were very legal and very cool!”

  14. He won’t do this. It’s all a delay and deflect strategy

  15. All of his communications with his lawyers are “figure out a way for me to commit these crimes”

  16. Absolutely loving this. Plus, to use an advice of counsel defense, doesn’t it help if you actually follow your attorneys’ advice? Ooh, he is super weak on that. How was I supposed to know treason was criminal? Hahahahhahahaha!

  18. They say I lost my key defense. Key to what? They never gave me a key. I earned my real estate empire from ground up. Lost my key defense. Please. It’s sad. Why I’ve locked them out of all Trump properties. That’s right. Democrats banned, properties are booked for years in advance I tell ya. Next we’ve got to lock them up. That’s right Lock them up.

    (Crowd chants)

    (Fuck the polls and headlines. Vote.)

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