Can Trump get a fair trial in New York?
The answer to the headline question is “probably not.” Anyone who thinks otherwise is either a dedicated Trump hater or is not paying attention. One can reasonably argue to the extent of the unfairness and jury bias, but to suggest that the proceeding will be fair and unprejudiced by political bias is nonsense.
In fact, the indictment itself wreaks of political bias. It was the partisan political motivation of a hardline Democrat prosecutor that brought Trump to this trial at this time. Consider these unusual — and even unprecedented – actions.
- The charges against Trump were not filed by the Manhattan prosecutor for almost eight years after the alleged offense – and only then on the eve of Trump’s reelection campaign.
- The issue had previously been investigated by federal prosecutors in New York’s Southern District, and they found insufficient evidence to pursue an indictment.
- The alleged offense is normally pursued as a misdemeanor – not a felony. And the statute of limitations had expired for such a misdemeanor.
- To get around the statute of limitations, the Manhattan prosecutor tied the indictment to a federal felony – without specifying what that felony might be.
Those are the events that brought the case up to the situation today – and the start of the trial. The trial will not be fair for several reasons.
- The trial is taking place in the same court – and with the same judge — that handed down the unprecedented astronomical $450 million penalty in the Trump Organization Case. In that case, Judge Juan Merchan’s various rulings were almost always to Trump’s disadvantage.
- The jury – or more specifically, the population from which the jury will be selected – is overwhelmingly Democrat with a strong anti-Trump bias. Based on the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, 9 out of 10 voters in Manhattan are anti-Trump. The odds are that there will not be a single Trump voter on the jury.
- Trump is not being judged by a “jury of his peers.” While 50 percent of the nation supports him, only 10 percent in Manhattan does.
- Unlike most criminal cases, the political bias of the jury is extremely significant because the jurors have a vested interest in the case. As voters, they have had an expressed personal disdain for Trump – with highly personal negative feelings. The jury has an emotional reaction to the defendant — and the emotion ain’t love.
- Pre-trial publicity is a unique problem in Manhattan. Jurors are often asked if they are influenced by pre-trial publicity. That is a meaningless question since it would be virtually impossible to find a non-comatose citizen who has not been inundated with negative pre-trial publicity – mostly political spin by a corrupt leftwing media. Even worse, Manhattan is the central silo of the powerful leftwing media giants. That means that virtually all news consumed by potential jurors in Manhattan has been anti-Trump. In fly over America, the Manhattan media has less influence on the mindset of the public
- If this case were given unbiased treatment, the court would have agreed to Trump attorney’s requests for a change of venue. The situation in Manhattan is similar to the racist one-party Democrat establishment that ran the judicial system in the South for more than 100 years after the Civil War.
Legal experts on all sides have indicated that they believe the so-called hush money case is the weakest of all the cases involving Trump. So, why is the prospect of a conviction all but certain?
I am not sure if there is anywhere else in America – outside of Manhattan – that could present the prospect of a more biased trial – whether it is the indictment, the judge or the jury. It may be the ONLY place in America in which a Trump conviction is virtually a foregone conclusion.
Every juror will be asked if they can put their personal feelings aside and render an objective verdict. They will all say they can. That is never possible – and certainly not in a case as politically charged as this one in a politically biased venue like Manhattan.
The issue to be judged is whether Trump broke the law and whether the punishment fits the crime. That is where the bias is most clearly seen. I am of the opinion that Trump will be convicted – less for what he did and more for who he is.
So, there ‘tis.
Trump getting a fair trial in New York is not going to happen. The commiecrats have their thumbs on the scale. The commie assholes believe that the end justifies the means But what the hell. Vote rigging by any means as long as they have a shot at keeping a retard in office
The Judge, James, & The Radical Dem. Should read
Palsm 35.
Jesus had to fight his enemies & so does Trump.
These people will not go to Heaven they will be
With Satan…
Only by technicality does this thwart any chance of Trump being President.
I do not care if he is guilty.
Wouldn’t that be something if he is under White House Arrest and forced to stay in the White House
with an ankle bracelet as He WILL become President.
The Democrat’s have already given him a place in history, thank you for that by the way.
A drowning Democrat will take any one down just to stay afloat.
The world sees this and people wonder why there is war.
Best military in the world in the hands of children crying to get their way.
Like children, they should be Spanked!
Oh, Bullshit. You MAGATS already starting with the ‘rigging’ and the ‘cheating’ crapola ! ALREADY they have put up with
FAR more than the average criminal would be given. LOOK at how the Judge has not just thrown his old ass in jail for his outbursts and intimidation . If you Far Right Magats ONLY KNEW what you look like to Real Americans out here!
91 Criminal Charges
6 bankruptcies
4 INdictments
2 Impeachments
1 Convicted Company
1 Fake Charity shut down
1 Fale University shut down
26 Sexual Assault allegations. Just shut UP!!!!!
Go support retard joe Pamela. We have enough libturds trying to destroy a good man. So stfu. But one more shouldn’t matter. You brain dead hussy.
I agree. I hope you will read my response and comment.
List all Biden’s successes for us. Trump worked for America
Biden is wrecking it. Closing in on sewer ratings.
merchan and bragg should both be in hillary bags where schitt eaters belong! Come after me for contempt ya Mother F*#KERS!
The short answer, no. the long answer, Trump can’t even get a fair judge!
The answer is Trump cannot get a fair trial anywhere he loses. But the real question is probably better stated as: is anything fair for anyone, anywhere in American anymore?
Can anyone get a fair trial in anywhere in America or only in your political party’s backyard? Does America even exist anymore? Or is it two separate countries like Repubicanistan and Democratistan. Everyone is unconstitutional to someone. The rule of law does not apply to all, many don’t believe in it. I mean Trump can’t do NY: Democrats can’t do Florida for the same exact reason.
DOJ, FBI, —- all weaponized. Courts, Judges — corrupt. You have to get a judge appointed by your guy or else — unfair. Biden will destroyed America for some. Trump has destroyed America for others. America is still here, but stands united that we are destroyed.
All media is biased left or right. The colleges are communist, the lower school’s trans and gay incubators. We can’t trust academia. You can’t trust science. Don’t trust medicine. And we could never trust lawyers or business — et tu Disney? Et tu Bud?
We should just quit duking it out, return to our neutral corners, call it a draw and never meet again. You take the south and Midwest, border to border. We’ll take the NE, SW, and West Coast. You get AK, we get HI and the territories.
Ask yourself this oh believers in the Godlike Trump who, in his latest marketing ploy, plays Jesus the persecuted who, even as God, does not have a chance in NY, the very state he grew up in, made his bones in, a place that should love him for all his good works, ask yourself this: why is Donald J Trump unable to win this fight, to make this deal.
After all, Trump has a SCOTUS advantage, he says it. Trump has all the money, the best lawyers, he told us. He has all the evidence, so he says. And yet, all these lawyers, all that money, all those facts —- and he can’t wrangle a fair trial, much less getting the case thrown out? He has to shill for your money just to turn up with lawyers in good suits. He’s begging, he’s selling smelly sneakers, Bibles he stole from Air Force One and classy trucker hats for the elite.
What’s up with that? Why is the guy who made $3B in one day begging for your money? Now there’s a the question. With a better follow-on: why do you keep giving him your hard-earned cash?
Soon we will know a lot more. In a week, SCOTUS will hear Trump immunity petition. If he prevails, I would say “game over.” If he fails, I would say the game is picking up pace. Fair or unfair, the mere weight of these indictments m, means NY, GA, or the FED will land a pretty solid punch after a SCOTUS green light. NY is just a preliminary. Sure, it’s a felony. It’s election tampering. But it’s a felony stretch for misdemeanor crimes inflated by connection. Connection that may seem like coincidence. After all, he pays off people all the time. Don’t they all — wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
Time to divide up America if you want fairness. Party matters. The law, eeeeh, not so much.
I agree with your satire Frank!! But NC is a purple state and would not like your deal to surrender us to the MAGA nation.
I hope you will comment on my response. Larry really spun this one!!!!
Tom … You are Ed McMahon to Frank’s Johnny Carson… just not nearly as funny.
LOL. Ed McMahon was a smart guy, had much more success than you based on the Chicago articles I have read about you, and had much more wealth than you!!! I consider it a compliment. What is a pity is that you cannot see that often my comments are much different than Frank’s comments.
Tom … What is with you and Frank constantly making wealth the bases of wisdom, character or reputation. When folks keep making money the indicator of success, I see them as losers, not winners. And do not get me wrong, I have personally known a lot of very wealthy people — and the best of them do not make their money the measure of success. They do not brag about it. Personally, I have never respected people who do.
Horist speaks as a guy without money who sees anyone who talks about it as bragging. Sorry Charlie, I don’t have enough to brag, but unlike you, I do have enough to talk about it. Usually in terms of what, where, and how, which you see as don’t have so don’t like. Guess you still need to learn the definition of Capitalism —- you know, that thing that makes us us. And I thought I was the communist?
I thought Horist was for free speech as well as braggadocio. Guess not.
NYC is about to fall. Being tun by Muslims and the College kids with no comments from the White House, The Muslim activist are leading all protest snd are Joes people!
This article gets at least a Stop the Spin rating of at least STS-5+. Here’s why:
1) The charges against Trump were not filed by the Manhattan prosecutor for almost eight years after the alleged offense – and only then on the eve of Trump’s reelection campaign. This is because Trump had his DOJ guy Barr interfere with all of the investigations.
2) The issue had previously been investigated by federal prosecutors in New York’s Southern District, and they found insufficient evidence to pursue an indictment. Again, Barr interference ordered by Trump. Investigators were not allowed to finish the investigations.
3) The alleged offense is normally pursued as a misdemeanor – not a felony. And the statute of limitations had expired for such a misdemeanor. This is a dishonest statement. Yes the original offense is a misdemeanor, but the misdemeanor was done in order to cover up a federal crime! Larry did not tell you this part, conveniently! The DA will prove this during the trial. Larry seems to be unaware that Cohen taped his conversations with Trump when they spoke of the hush money payments and what they were for an how they would “wait until after the 2016 election to pay Daniels” which ties the hush money payments to the campaign and election as a kill scheme to misinform / hide what had happened from the voting public. This occurred after the “pussy petting tape” and the campaign determined another scandal with so little time to election day would sink Trump! This is all on audio recordings by Cohen. So what really happened that Larry is avoiding talking about is while Malenia was pregnant Trump was fucking Stormy. Stormy was gonna spill the beans two weeks before the 2016 election. Trump and his campaign lawyer Cohen and Campaign Manager decided it was too risky to let this story come out. They did a payoff using Cohen’s home equity to pay off Story. Then Trump paid Cohen back from his business account using the reason for payment as “legal consultations” that were really payments back to Cohen for paying off Stormy so she would not go public before the election. Misrepresenting the payments in his business books is the misdemeanor Larry is speaking about. But using a misdemeanor to cover up a second crime makes it a felony – and in this case the felony is election interference.
4) To get around the statute of limitations, the Manhattan prosecutor tied the indictment to a federal felony – without specifying what that felony might be. If Larry knew the law, he would see how stupid this statement is because NY Law does not require that the felony be listed. Larry needs to read NY law before he writes such stupidity. See my explanation in #3. My answer is documented in NY and federal law. It had nothing to do with getting around the statute of limitations. It had everything to do with holding Trump accountable for his crimes.
In LArry’s second numbered bullets he again plays the idiot. Here’s how:
1) The $450 M settlement was with Judge Engoron, not the judge in this ELECTION INTERFERENCE case which is Merchan. Get your facts straight Larry!
2) If Larry would have read the demographics available on the selected jurors, he would know about the 44 question form, the specifics about each juror – they are intelligent and they all have stated they feel they can be fair minded. The form questions got to the issue of being anti Trump, and 50 potential jurors were excused out of the initial pool of 96.
3) The law calls “your peer” someone who lives in the same area. That is it. So Larry is very wrong about this. Larry thinks Trump should be judged by Trump fans and people who think like Trump or at least like Trump. This is horribly incorrect thinking for someone who claims to love the rule of law! The truth is that many jurors answered that they have no opinion of Trump. A few did not even know anything like this was going on until they were summoned.
4) This is a pure Larry lie!!! Again, Larry is listening to way too much FOX. Larry is totally lying about the jurors. For anyone who is actually interested in the truth, these NY Lawyers have many videos explaining the process of Trump’s jury selections at *https://www.youtube.com/@MeidasTouch* This is a group of lawyers, one a former NY Assistant DA, one a NY Manhattan trial lawyer, and the third I think is also a NY trial lawyer. They explain the whole process, and daily proceedings, and pretty much refute what Larry is saying.
5) On pretrial publicity, Trump is famous, no matter where he goes there will be pretrial publicity. Funny thing is, Trump is the one doing most of the pretrial publicity!!! Also, Larry wants you to believe that humans are stupid and cannot be fair and separate the publicity hype. The jurors will hear the real facts – not the Larry MAGA facts which drool from Trumps lips and posted on his losers forum called Truth Social.
6) Change of venue was addressed by Judge Merchan. He did not see it as necessary. And it was another one of Trump’s lawyer’s efforts to get the trial delayed because Trump is scared to death of this trial. He has never been held accountable. He knows the facts that will come out under oath that he does not want the 2024 voters to know! He wants to delay this trial until after November 2024 at all costs. Funny Trump came out with this stack of legal experts documents yet many experts think there is validity to this trial, and this includes former NY prosecutors and trial attorneys. Problem is that most MAGA folks only want the rule of law when it favors their guy.
In Larry’s closing, he reveals how biased he himself is. In Larry’s world a fair jury is not possible yet he so often touts the rule of law – but the fundamental component necessary for the rule of law is a fair jury. This case is not highly technical nor a very complicated case. Jurors can understand lying. Jurors can understand hush payments. Jurors can understand cover ups. Jurors can understand being under-informed on a candidate. Jurors will understand the facts of this case which is what Trump fears. Jurors only have to decide if the facts are accurate and if so, pass judgement on Trump. They can do this without ever coming close to their bias. Bias is often evident when facts are disputed, people will defer to their bias. Their is no dispute of the actual facts in this Election Interference case. Trump is disputing fairness, not facts. If you do not believe Trump, then he feels you are unfair. He does not talk about the facts for very good reason!!!
You may have noticed that Larry did not talk about the facts in this case either – which is why my response gives the facts. Larry is biased.
Tom … You just should not make up your own facts. Re (1) and (2), It was Democrat Cyrus Vance who did not pursue Trump on the campaign finance — much to the chagrin of a lot of Democrats. (3) Can you read? I DID explain that the misdemeanor was resurrected after the statue of limitation had expired by claiming the existence of an underling federal crime — which we still do not know what it is since Trump has not been convicted of any federal crimes. Wrong again on (4), there is no precise legal definition of “peer” in terms of trials. It is usually judged on a case by case basis. (5) is merely your means to pass a long an irrelevant and stupid insult — and again you arrogantly and ignorantly claim to know my thinking and motivation — have you borrowed Franks’ mental playmate as you straw man? LOL Re (6), of course the judge explained HIS reasons for not agreeing to a change of venue. That does not mean it was not deserved in this case. And remember, this is the same judge that gags Trump and allows the witnesses to talk every day against Trump. That is just another indication of bias. And in your closing you again prove your biases and your utter ignorance. You say I tout the rule-of-law. I have repeatedly called it more of a theory than a reality. You COMPLETELY misrepresent –and lie –about the real Larry Horist’s options. Your are correct, I did not talk about the facts of the case in this commentary. The subject of the commentary was the potential for bias. This is the second time you have completely failed to understand the subject of a commentary. You seem to have an increasing problem with your reading comprehension. In terms of your entire nonsensical response, I borrow from Frank. Where your proof of anything you said.
LArry, it is sad that you have to argue about things you do not know. The $450 M settlement was with Judge Engoron, not the judge in this ELECTION INTERFERENCE case which is Merchan. Get your facts straight Larry! You seem to have a definite problem with you research or editor.
Larry, you STS-Rating commentary is based on the facts you listed. I am simply refuting what you stated as fact. I will let you slide on the idiot comments you make about my reading comprehension but I would recommend you see your Geontologist to adjust your meds. You are showing decline my friend! LOL
Tom … When you are right, you are right. Thank for the correction.
Tom, see, I knew Horist would come around and see your Spin Rating System as correct.
And by the way Larry, the the phrase “a jury of peers” dates back to the signing of the Magna Carta in England. At that point, the provision ensured that fellow nobles tried members of the nobility rather than the king judging them. This phrase more accurately means a jury of fellow citizens. And according to Cornell Law School, the defendant has the constitutional right to have a jury of their peers at trial (note that “peers” often means citizens. In almost every trial court I am familiar with in several states, “peers” are citizens selected from the district that the court resides in. It is NOT a case by case basis (implying the case is the defendant) selection as you say. Now if you go to law.com, you will see jury of one’s peers:
n. a guaranteed right of criminal defendants, in which “peer” means an “equal.” This has been interpreted by courts to mean that the available jurors include a broad spectrum of the population, particularly of race, national origin and gender. Jury selection may include no process which excludes those of a particular race or intentionally narrows the spectrum of possible jurors. It does not mean that women are to be tried by women, Asians by Asians, or African Americans by African Americans.
Please learn our legal system.
When it comes to politics, Horist leaves logic at the door. FEAR drives him to make this a blood sport where winning is the thing, God and country second. His arguments stress emotions, not logic. And if he is right, then someone is bad, someone is good. There is good and evil as defined by political party in Horist world. He will say I am projecting, making up a mythical Horist —- but he won’t defend his logic or shoot mine down.
The basic question is are there two America’s? Right and Left — and do they punish each other just because of party in America meaning that we are not united in following the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the rule of law.
Is the right totally wrong, unpatriotic, and un-American? Or is the left. Both or neither?
Can anyone get a fair trial in the backyard of the opposing party? Is the SCOTUS corrupted therefore, by definition of party? DOJ? FBI —– any US organization or institution? Are we all corrupted by party affiliation?
The Horist six degrees of party corruption include:
1. IF a judge has ruled against you, it’s to your disadvantage to sit before him again. This pretty much says judges are corrupt. Or at least any judge that hands a punishment to Trump. That’s cynical and untrue. Our court system is the best in the world. Sure, there are problems, there is incompetence. But still the best in the world.
2. IF the jury is Democrat, they are anti-Trump and biased. They are not capable of ruling on the evidence. We are all biased by political party and can never sit on an unbiased jury that is not corrupted by politics. Or is it just the Democrats? Actually, Trump got 18-23% of NYC in 2016/2020. The odds are that there will be one or two Republicans on the jury. It only takes one to hang the jury. Trump has the best lawyers. Not to mention that only 55% of registered voters vote. Does that mean for 45% of the jury that party doesn’t matter. Maybe they are all Trumpers. What does that mean if you don’t vote or don’t register.
3. This is a repeat. Is Horist stressed?
4. Over 50% of NYC is not registered. Over 50% of the registered don’t vote in NYC — some of the lowest turn outs around. Horist says they hate Trump. Trump is from NYC. His father is from NYC. He made his bones in NYC. Does he have no return from all his great works there? The University in his name? His charity foundation? His ice rink charity? His 9/11 activities? He was there, on the ground, or so he says.
5. Pre-trial publicity is mostly a problem the defendant has brough upon himself. And continues to do so as he calls out a juror and forces her to either face extremists or quit. Horist makes Trump the predator into Trump the victim. Where in America are you immune from Trump talk?
6. I admit, I was impressed by the number of Times readers. But this is basically equal to anywhere USA. Where are you immune from media? NYC has nothing in common with the South. Never will. The snowbirds can’t even make Florida more liberal.
Horist feels politics shades everything. He has lived his life, made his career, on this belief. It colors everything he knows. In business, most leave politics at the door. Profit, not politics, rules the day. And profits, for the wise, are based on one thing — customer satisfaction. At least, long-term, life-time, profits. I have yet to market by party. Trump, and Horist, fear Trump’s customer satisfaction returns in the city of his birth, his upbringing, and his business.
Trump is a businessman. He knew the rules. He chose to make his bones, make his profits, make his business in NYC. The facts are that he cheated. He cheated on business records — that’s documented. He’s got 34 charges of falsifying business records – he’s gonna be guilty on all or some. He’s cheated on women. There’s the ones he sexually abused. There’s two women he paid off – a playboy model and a porn star. And he paid off a doorman re: his love child. Cohen and American Media Inc (Pecker) say he paid off to avoid sexcapade exploit news releases after the Access Hollywood tapes and just before the 2016 vote. Days before, That’s a matter for the jury to decide. Cohen went to jail. AMI paid a campaign fine to the FEC already. Three on a match rules.
And that’s the rub. The payments, even the campaign fund fraud, is pretty much misdemeanor stuff. It’s all documented and legally tied up with a bow. Cohen been charged on it, Trump conspired with Cohen. In NY, falsifying business records can be a felony. Especially when done in furtherance of another crime. The stretch is proving Trump did it to conceal information from the voters — that’s a felony and that needs to be proven in court. There is documentation but some has Cohen attached. He’s a known liar and, in court, that matters. We will all see the evidence; we can all determine whether the jury nullified the evidence for or against Trump. I doubt they will.
You see, Mr. Horist, many feel you can get a fair trial in America. That jurors generally uphold their responsibility to weigh the evidence to come to a verdict. Yeah, there’s issues, there’s nullification, but even in those cases, the jury is using the law to send a message, often a message beyond the case itself, and that’s part of our system too. For example, OJ got off, but the jury sent the message, via the case, about decades of LA police abuse of citizens just like OJ. OJ the person benefitted, but the message re: the system was sent, loud and clear. And the message was received, things got better, even in nullification, the system worked for citizens in general. Just that OJ got off as the result. Maybe Trump can pull an OJ as well.
1. The charges against Trump were not filed by the Manhattan prosecutor for almost eight years after the alleged offense – and only then on the eve of Trump’s reelection campaign.
2. The issue had previously been investigated by federal prosecutors in New York’s Southern District, and they found insufficient evidence to pursue an indictment.
3. The alleged offense is normally pursued as a misdemeanor – not a felony. And the statute of limitations had expired for such a misdemeanor.
4. To get around the statute of limitations, the Manhattan prosecutor tied the indictment to a federal felony – without specifying what that felony might be.
As to the timing. Initially, Federal Prosecutors did indeed have the case and brought the case against Cohen for which Trump is unindicted co-conspirator number one. Trump is President and the DOJ memorandum against charging a sitting President takes effect until 1/21/2021. Period.
Cohen goes to jail and Trump remains unindicted co-conspirator number one.
NYS which had been investigating Trump since 2018 stands down while the case is in Federal hands.
Barr becomes AG 2019.
Trump/Barr fires Berman from SDNY in 2020. Berman says it’s over dropping the Trump case. This part shows Trump and Barr illegally weaponizing the DOJ. Where’s Jordan when you need him for that investigation…..
FEC drops case 5/6/2021.
NY begins to investigate Trump for hush money case mid 2021, opening up opening a six month grand jury on 11/2021. They do not indict.
Bragg starts 1/2022. Two ADA’s quit because Bragg does not indict. Investigation continues under Bragg.
Trump announces campaign on 11/15/2022 hoping it will grant him immunity. It does not.
12/2022 Trump Corp. guilty of fraud felonies.
1/2023 Grand Jury continues, Pecker, Cohen, all supply information.
Trump announces campaign on 11/15/2022.
Bragg indicts on 3/2023.
In sum, most of the trial delay results from barriers that Trump himself created. Trump sued to block a subpoena for financial records. That’s 17 months of delay right there. The DA paused for ten months due to the simultaneous federal investigation. Over two years of delay right there.
The District Attorney argued that statutes of limitations were on pause during COVID and can be extended since Trump left the state. The case was Federal, the State does not intercede in a federal case. The Fed under Barr/Trump will not prosecute a sitting President. Then Barr/Trump’s DOJ/FEC suddenly drops the case where Trump is unindicted co-conspirator number one, and Cohen goes to jail as guilty for the same and similar crimes. Seems very strange as SDNY guy in charge is fired over pursuing the case, according to him. Bragg picks up the investigation for NY as soon as the Fed drops it. Trump tries to gain immunity by entering the race earlier than most candidates for most Presidential elections and one month before his first guilty on felony charges. Bragg puts together a better case by tying the fraud into a campaign violation issue where Trump has paid off his adultery in order to avoid bad press right after Access Hollywood and just before his election against Hillary Clinton.
Given Trump’s experience and expertise in trail delays, seems like this one is moving at the speed of light and cannot be barred from the court or trumped by immunity ploys, so far.
See you for the opening arguments on Monday and Trump’s gag order abuse on Tuesday. Weds is a time out for Trump to play golf.
Trump gave up his pay as President!
Biden took his pay! Tells who is really caring about the country!