#Blanche mocks #MichaelCohen’s testimony about the evening of 24 Oct, 2016. The testimony on which the defense lawyers felt they had scored a key point, because they presented #evidence that Cohen had talked to #KeithSchiller, #Trump's bodyguard, about a 14-yr-old pranking him. Cohen clarified on redirect that he had talked to both Schiller & Trump during the call & prosecution entered into evidence photos of Trump & Schiller next to each other mins before the call.
But the defense clearly thinks it has a winning argument here. “It was a lie,” #Blanche yells of #MichaelCohen’s testimony. He calls it “perjury,” emphasizing each syllable in the word.
Blanche reminds jurors that there is an oath to tell the truth & says that it “matters to most.” 🤣🤣
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
#Blanche lists the people who he says #MichaelCohen has lied to, which includes his wife, his children, his banker, the #FEC & “every single reporter he talked to for about a year.”
Blanche tries what sounds like an attempt at a punchline: “He’s literally like the MVP of liars.”
There’s no audible reaction in the courtroom.
Irony is rolling in its grave.
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
#Blanche replays defense exhibits in which #MichaelCohen sounds giddy as he reacts to the news that #Trump has been indicted.
Blanche shows a tweet in which Cohen promoted a t-shirt featuring a cartoon drawing of Trump in an orange jumpsuit behind bars.
Blanche says before he concludes, that he will offer a list of 10 pieces of evidence that should induce #ReasonableDoubt in the jury.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
#Blanche again argues that #Trump was in the #WhiteHouse when he signed 9 of the checks. Implying Trump was distracted when he signed them, & that his signature does not suggest his knowledge of the scheme.
‼️Using a slide labeled “manipulation of evidence,” Blanche now argues (again) that #MichaelCohen somehow tampered w/the digital evidence from his phones, including recordings. (Objection to just the label FFS!)
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
#Blanche says #jurors cannot trust those recordings, & they cannot rely on #MichaelCohen himself — which, the defense has said many times, is a reason not to #convict #Trump.
Blanche then listed 10 reasons that he believed the jury should have #ReasonableDoubt as to Trump’s #guilt. But the list was hard to follow. He misstated the 4th point, which he then broke into 3 parts. He gave them all equal weight & barely mentioned some of them in the rest of his summation.
The last reason for #ReasonableDoubt on Blanche’s list is simply: #MichaelCohen.
#Blanche calls Cohen: “The human embodiment of reasonable doubt, literally.” (Umm, no not literally)
Blanche introduces the acronym G.O.A.T., commonly used to stand for “greatest of all time.” He then applies the acronym to Michael Cohen. “Michael Cohen is the G.L.O.A.T.,” Blanche says. The “greatest liar of all time.”
#Trump wrote this right?
(Idiot)
#Blanche reminds the #jury that deliberations should not involve their views of #Trump, & this is not a referendum on the ballot box.
Trump & his campaign have argued for the last several years that the trial is a politically motivated sham that is about the ballot box
Blanche concludes, thanking the jurors. He tells them if they pay close attention to the #evidence, “this is a very quick & easy not guilty verdict.”
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
Before he concluded, #Blanche asked that #jurors not send his client to #prison. Now, w/the jury excused, Joshua #Steinglass, who will give prosecution’s closing argument, stands up & objects.
“That was a blatant & wholly inappropriate effort to call sympathy for their client,” Steinglass says, asking for a curative instruction.
Justice #Merchan is excoriating Blanche for making an “outrageous” statement.
#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
Justice #Merchan, furious, reminds #Blanche, & not for the first time, that he was a prosecutor long enough to know it was out of bounds for him to basically beg jurors not to send #Trump to #prison.
Merchan told the court that he plans to give jurors a curative instruction — in other words, general direction that is aimed at clearing up an erroneous statement.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
Back from lunch, #Trump has returned w/ Don Jr. & Eric& Lara, & Tiffany.
When we left, #Blanche was admonished by Justice #Merchan for imploring #jurors not to send Trump “to prison” on #MichaelCohen’s words.
The issue is that Blanche told jurors Trump could face prison due to their decision.
Jurors are ONLY responsible for deciding whether he is guilty or not guilty of the charges, sentencing is not in their purview.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference