Up to now, there is a winner and a loser out of this Manhattan trial. The winner is President Trump, who keeps getting stronger. The loser is New York, or the perception that the Empire State is a banana republic. Using the legal system to target political opponents is Banana Republic 101.

This is from Jonathan Turley:

Cohen’s testimony will be the culmination of this travesty of a trial. But Bragg already jumped the shark with Daniels. After three weeks, legal experts are still debating what the crime was that Trump was seeking to conceal by recording payments for a standard non-disclosure agreement as a legal expense. (That is the same characterization used by Hillary Clinton’s campaign for its funding for the infamous Steele dossier.)

It is still unclear that Trump even knew how the payments were characterized, and the alleged false record was not even created until after the election was over. Yet he stands accused of using the “false business records” to somehow steal or rig an election that was already over.

After this circus with Cohen is complete, Trump will be allowed to testify. He would be insane to do so. Merchan has already said that he will allow a broad scope to cross-examination, making any appearance unlikely.

That is when Merchan will face a key test of judicial ethics. He has failed to protect the rights of the defendant from a baseless, politically motivated prosecution. He could insist that he simply felt Bragg had a right to present his case. He will soon be done and, as expected, it is entirely based on Cohen, a disbarred perjurer who will ask for his former client to be sent to prison for following his own legal advice.

After Bragg closes the prosecution’s case, the defense will make a standard motion for dismissal. Merchan should grant that motion.

There has been no showing of an actual crime, let alone a clear record tying Trump to key decisions or actions.

Merchan will then have to decide whether he has the courage that Bragg lacked. Bragg knew that this case was ridiculous. The Justice Department had declined any prosecution for a federal campaign finance violation, the theory referenced in the case. Indeed, it did not even seek a civil fine over the payments. Bragg’s predecessor had also rejected the prosecution.

Merchan having courage? Don’t bet on it. At the same time, he may be getting a call any day from an adult Democrat telling him to pull the plug and end this travesty of a trial.

The Trump trials are not going as planned. Down in Georgia, Fani and Nathan messed it up. In Florida, the documents case ran into a judge who understands the law. More than that, how can you hold Trump accountable when nothing happened to Mrs. Clinton and the special counsel concluded that Biden has a bad memory? The January 6 case is tied up in courts, and no trial will happen before November or the political target (Trump) is otherwise destroyed.

Back in New York, the “fraud” case can’t find anyone who got defrauded. The “he raped me 30 years ago” is so phony that it makes everyone laugh.

So Trump is winning, and New York’s judicial system smells like rotten bananas. Again, there must be an adult there calling on the judge to stop and start going after the people making the streets so dangerous.

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Image by AI.