Trump Convicted

[Josh]

I would support a return to an America where our political candidates were not convicted criminals and a majority of Americans viewed criminality as disqualifying for higher office.

Then first you’ll need to support a return to fair prosecutors, courts, trials, and judges.

From what I observed, this court bent over backwards to accommodate and be "fair" to Trump and allowed him far more leeway than any ordinary defendant. I saw no unfairness whatsoever. He was convicted of a very ordinary and common crime that thousands of other people are convicted of every year.

In fact, Michael Cohen was convicted and served time for pretty much the same crime (lying about paying off Stormy Daniels) that he committed on behalf of Trump. And that was Trump's justice department that tried and convicted Michael Cohen.

The court did nothing of the sort.

For starters, it could have been changed to a venue where Trump got more than 5% of the vote. Any other venue in NY State would have been acceptable. So why not pick a fair venue?

[Szdfan]

Trump has a legal problem that he's going to try to fix with political means.

Correction: Biden has a political problem he’s trying to fix by claiming his opponent has a criminal problem.

Weren't you the one who said that adultery and fornication should be illegal? What do you call falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to a porn star to hide the extramarital sex he had with her?

[Ken]

Then first you’ll need to support a return to fair prosecutors, courts, trials, and judges.

From what I observed, this court bent over backwards to accommodate and be "fair" to Trump and allowed him far more leeway than any ordinary defendant. I saw no unfairness whatsoever. He was convicted of a very ordinary and common crime that thousands of other people are convicted of every year.

In fact, Michael Cohen was convicted and served time for pretty much the same crime (lying about paying off Stormy Daniels) that he committed on behalf of Trump. And that was Trump's justice department that tried and convicted Michael Cohen.

The court did nothing of the sort.

For starters, it could have been changed to a venue where Trump got more than 5% of the vote. Any other venue in NY State would have been acceptable. So why not pick a fair venue?

Trump's attorneys argued that exact point and lost. How a particular community votes doesn't have anything to do with whether or not a jury can be impartial. There is no reason to believe that Biden voters are any more biased than Trump voters is there? Or vice versa? The defense had the opportunity to reject any jurors it disliked. There is no part of America that didn't get extensive media coverage of this case so moving the trial wouldn't have served any purpose. Anywhere you go in the country, everyone knows Trump and has opinions of him. That isn't the issue. The issue is whether they can be impartial.

If the jury acted improperly then that will be grounds for an appeal.

[Ken]

Trump has a legal problem that he's going to try to fix with political means.

Correction: Biden has a political problem he’s trying to fix by claiming his opponent has a criminal problem.

Weren't you the one who said that adultery and fornication should be illegal? What do you call falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to a porn star to hide the extramarital sex he had with her?

Don't forget writing said hush money payments off on your taxes which itself is a felony all on its own. Trump evaded more money in taxes by illegally writing off his hush money payments than the Baltimore prosecutor did by falsifying her 457 plan withdrawal application that got endless discussion on the Daniel Perry thread. His tax cheating on this single case alone was 4 or 5 times larger than hers. She evaded a 10% tax penalty on a $90,000 withdrawal. Or $9,000 in taxes/fees. He evaded taxes on $130,000 hush money payments when he was in the 39.6% tax bracket. Which is $51,480 in taxes or 5.7 times more than Marilyn Mosby.

And that wasn't even the main crime here. That would be a separate Federal crime that the Justice Department could try him on if they wanted and not a subject for state court where this trial was held.

[Dan Z]

The press has already pivoted to the question of whether this will affect the election and seems to be concluding that no, it won't. Which I think is a sad commentary of where we are at today.

Yes, it's quite sad that where we are today is that we have essentially political trials conducted for political purposes, and that a large swathe of the voting public has realised these trials and courtrooms are a farce.

Déjà vu.

That seems to be the handy way it works with this particular former president. When he wins - justice prevails. When he loses - the system is rigged.

Heads - I win. Tails - you lose.

It will be interesting to watch the sentencing and appeals processes. I doubt the verdict affects the election much - most folks have already come to a conclusion about both Trump & Biden's fitness (or unfitness) for office. It may be tricky to run the country from Rikers Island however.

[Ken]

The press has already pivoted to the question of whether this will affect the election and seems to be concluding that no, it won't. Which I think is a sad commentary of where we are at today.

Yes, it's quite sad that where we are today is that we have essentially political trials conducted for political purposes, and that a large swathe of the voting public has realised these trials and courtrooms are a farce.

Déjà vu.

That seems to be the handy way it works with this particular former president. When he wins - justice prevails. When he loses - the system is rigged.

Heads - I win. Tails - you lose.

In this particular case, if the trial was a farce then one of three things must be true:

1. He didn't actually do what he is accused of doing.
2. What he is accused of doing isn't actually a crime
3. There was something improper that led to a miscarriage of justice in the investigation or trial that would invalidate the result (exclude certain evidence or a disqualify a witness or something like that).

I haven't read or heard anyone make a compelling argument as to any of those three. But if he successfully appeals it would have to be one of those grounds.

[Bootstrap]

Déjà vu.

That seems to be the handy way it works with this particular former president. When he wins - justice prevails. When he loses - the system is rigged.

Heads - I win. Tails - you lose.

It will be interesting to watch the sentencing and appeals processes. I doubt the verdict affects the election much - most folks have already come to a conclusion about both Trump & Biden's fitness (or unfitness) for office. It may be tricky to run the country from Rikers Island however.

But for Trump, I think prison time is very unlikely. Now if someone else were convicted for the same crimes, that would be different ...

I thought the evidence presented in the case was very compelling. The jury did too. Trump had his day in court.

[Robert]

Weren't you the one who said that adultery and fornication should be illegal? What do you call falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to a porn star to hide the extramarital sex he had with her?

Court only ruled on the payments. It made no judgement on if he actually had an encounter with her. I am not saying he did not. I am just saying the court did not rule on that.

[Grace]

It is all over the news today so no need to post links.

But Trump has been found guilty and convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

So I guess by the standards of this forum it is now accurate to call him a criminal.

And I am sure you will be delighted to do so.

Did anyone really think anything different would happen? This is just what the Democrats and Biden have ordered. They have spent the last 7+ years vilifying, arresting, impeaching and suing the only American president in years which the Deep State hasn't been able to control.

Anyone who figured Trump stood a chance in a New York City court must have been out of touch. However, people are not stupid, this Democrat/Biden weaponized court has succeeded in doing what no political campaign could have ever done, it elevated Trump to a martyr level. And people will see it as that.

Now Biden actually has something to run on other than abortion and Jan. 6. He can say his political opponent is a convicted felon.

[Robert]

I thought the evidence presented in the case was very compelling. The jury did too. Trump had his day in court.

Alan Dershowitz and Johnathan Turley greatly disagree.