Donald Trump is on trial in New York for criminally falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments he made to Stormy Daniels to prevent her from revealing an intimate encounter they had. He did this to gain unfair advantage in the 2016 presidential election. Ironically, Donald Trump's own attorneys made crystal clear in court exactly how damaging Daniels' story was when they argued for a mistrial because her testimony was so damaging to Trump. Glenn reviews Stormy Daniels'...

Judge Juan Merchan, the New York State court judge presiding over Donald Trump's criminal trial for interfering in the 2016 presidential election, found Trump guilty of a 10th count of criminal contempt of court for violating his gag order again. But once again, Judge Merchan only imposed a punishment of a $1000 fine. He also again warned Trump that, in the event he continues to violate the court's order, he could be jailed, "if necessary." IF NECESSARY!!? Glenn explains exactly why actually...

Donald Trump's longtime aide and confidant, Hope Hicks, testified as a witness for the prosecution in Trump's New York State trial for falsifying business records to gain unfair advantage in the 2016 presidential election. There's been plenty of discussion about how damaging HIck's testimony was to the former president. Glenn explains why he thinks prosecutors called Hicks as the last witness on a Friday before the jury went out for the weekend, and why, by the end of the trial, it will...

It's not often that a presiding judge publicly calls out a defendant for lying outside the courtroom. Yet, that is precisely what New York State court judge Juan Merchan found himself having to do when Donald Trump claimed that a gag order prohibited him from testifying in his own defense at trial. As reported by The Hill, the "Judge in Trump's hush money (election interference) case clarifies gag order doesn't prevent ex-president from testifying." And perhaps the worst part - at least...

In a moment that makes one wonder if we will ever learn our lesson, Donald Trump gives an interview to Time magazine and says he won't rule out violence if he loses the 2024 election. As CNN reported, "Trump doesn't rule out political violence if he loses." This prompts one obvious question . . . what the hell are we doing!? If you're interested in supporting our all-volunteer efforts, you can become a Team Justice patron at:  / glennkirschner   If you'd like to support us and buy Team...

Donald Trump has many "firsts" to his credit: first former president criminally indicted by a state; first former president criminally indicted by the feds; first former president tried for his crimes; and now, first former president held in criminal contempt. Glenn reviews Judge Juan Merchan's order, finding - beyond a reasonable doubt - that Donald Trump violated New York law nine times by committing the crime of contempt of court. Glenn also discusses the implications of this finding in...

Donald Trump is indicted on 88 felony counts, across four jurisdictions, for crimes he committed - many of them while he was serving as president. Trump's lawyer, John Sauer, argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that Trump shouldn't be prosecuted for the crimes that were committed while he was in office. Specifically, Sauer said that the following acts are official presidential acts that would be covered by presidential immunity: ordering the assassination of a political rival; ordering the...

Donald Trump, on trial in New York for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, has denied any relationship with Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels. Yet he arranged for them to be paid more than $100,000 each to cover up information they could provide about him, so that information would not hurt his election chances in the 2016 presidential election. He then falsified business records to disguise the true nature of the payments he made to Daniels. Even though McDougal and Daniels...

As The New York Times reported, " Trump's Trial Could Bring a Rarity: Consequences for His Words." People are fully aware that Donald Trump says and posts anything that occurs to him in the moment, without any filter or regard for the truth of what he's saying or the consequences of the lies he tells. But now that Trump is moving from the court of public opinion into the actual courts of criminal law - there are several ways his words will come back to haunt him. Glenn discusses the three...

Judge Juan Merchan is about to decide if Donald Trump is guilty of criminal contempt for violating the court's gag order at his election interference trial in New York. Assuming he holds Trump in contempt, that will represent a violation of Trump's conditions of pretrial release in his criminal cases. Why is this dire for Trump? Judge's have told him: one of the conditions he must obey while on release is that he not commit any new state, federal, or local offenses because if he does he can...

Day two of his criminal trial was no better for Donald Trump than day one. His friend and long-time associate David Pecker testified about the dirty "catch-and-kill" scheme they conspired to execute to assist Trump in his political pursuits. Pecker also testified that Trump was very detail-oriented, to the point of being a "micromanager." This directly undercut Trump's lawyer's contention during opening statements that Trump had no idea why he was writing multiple $30,000 checks (totaling...

Donald Trump's first criminal trial (of four criminal trials) started in earnest on Monday with opening statements and it turned out to be something of a lopsided affair. Glenn reviews some of the points made by the prosecution and some of the . . . curious arguments offered by Donald Trump's defense attorney. If you're interested in supporting our all-volunteer efforts, you can become a Team Justice patron at:  / glennkirschner   If you'd like to support us and buy Team Justice and...

Glenn discusses the three goals of a prosecution's opening statement and the three goals of a defense opening statement. There are always lots of tactical challenges for both the prosecutors and the defense attorneys. But there is one challenge in particular that Trump's attorney's will face, and it's a choice that may end up alienating the jurors, If you're interested in supporting our all-volunteer efforts, you can become a Team Justice patron at:  / glennkirschner   If you'd like to...

Now 12 jurors and six alternates have already been qualified to serve on the Trump jury in the 2016 election interference trial in New York. In another development, the prosecutors just filed what's called "Sandoval Notice" detailing 13 instances of uncharged misconduct they intend to use on cross-examination of Trump in the (unlikely) event he decides to testify at trial. Glenn gives us highlights of the 13 instances of Trump's past misconduct in this new court filing. If you're interested...

The jury has been selected in a New York courtroom to judge the guilt or innocence of a former president of the United States. This is an important step in the direction of fulfilling the long-dormant American promise that no one is above the law. Glenn does a deep dive into several jury issues, including Judge Juan Merchan's unusual process of letting jurors self-identify as unable to be fair and dismissing them with no follow-up questions. And Glenn discusses the fact that two of the jurors...

Donald Trump has violated the gag order imposed by Judge Merchan in his New York criminal prosecution. Trump has repeatedly violated the gag order - talking about and endangering the witnesses in the case. Now NY District Attorney Alvin Bragg's prosecutors have filed a motion formally asking Judge Merchan to hold Trump in criminal contempt and fine him. However, they are also asking the judge to put Trump on notice that any future violations will land him in jail for up to 30 days, the...

Today, Donald Trump went from an aspiring "day-one dictator" to a "day-one defendant" at his big 2016 election interference trial in New York. Just days ago, Trump told his supporters that he wanted "all hell to break loose on Monday." But given the anti-Trump protests outside the courthouse today, it looked like all accountability was breaking loose. Glenn takes on three of the legal developments at day one of Trump's New York trial. If you're interested in supporting our all-volunteer...

Criminal trials can often be a bit like popularity contests. Each attorney will strive to be liked, trusted, and respected by the jury. In a sense, each attorney will want to be the most popular in the eyes of the jury. But more importantly - how does the jury views the defendant? Does the defendant come across as likeable, trustworthy, or honorable? There's one important piece of evidence that was disclosed a year ago in the Statement of Facts that accompanied the Indictment in Trump's 2016...

New reports have revealed the prosecution witnesses that are prepared to testify at Donald Trump's first criminal trial and they spell real trouble for him. Those witnesses, as you might expect, include Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. But surprisingly on the list: former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, former Director of the Oval Office Madeleine Westerhout and former CEO of the National Enquirer David Pecker. Cohen in particular is a sharply incriminating witness against...

Donald Trump's longtime Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg was sent back to Rikers Island after pleading guilty to committing perjury at Trump's New York fraud trial. Weisselberg had served time at Rikers previously after pleading guilty to being involved in a 15-year-long criminal scheme to defraud in the first degree while serving as the CFO for the Trump Organization. Given that Weisselberg has steadfastly refused to cooperate with the prosecutors and testify against Donald Trump,...

There are two good news stories to report. First, a New York appeals court judge rejected Donald Trump's attempt to stop his trial from beginning on April 15th. But; in a lesser-covered development; Judge Juan Merchan shared how some of the jury selection procedures will work. People often refer to Trump's New York prosecution as the "hush money" case. However Glenn and others refer to it as an "election interference" case: Trump criminally falsified business records to cover-up hush money...

Donald Trump and his lawyers have again reached into their dirty little bags of tricks in a desperate effort to stop his first criminal trial from beginning on April 15th. Trump is suing the presiding judge, Juan Merchan, as The New York Times reports: "Trump to sue judge in last-ditch attempt to avert Manhattan trial." Glenn says this desperate Hail Mary will fail, just as it failed when Trump sued Judge Engoron to try to prevent his NY fraud trial from getting under way. If you're...

So it looks like the person that put up the $175 million bond to stop New York Attorney General Leticia James from seizing Trump's properties - a guy named Don Hankey - is not actually credentialed to do business in New York. Accordingly, Attorney General James filed a "notice of exception" to the bond, and Judge Arthur Engoron has now set a hearing for April 22nd. Glenn wonders if seizing Trump's properties might once again be back in play? If you're interested in supporting our...

If it already wasn't crystal clear that Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon should be removed from presiding over the prosecution of the very defendant who bestowed upon her a lifetime appointment as a federal judge, it is now beyond reasonable dispute. Judge Cannon ruled AGAINST Trump, denying his motion to dismiss the 32 espionage counts in his Florida federal prosecution, yet Trump then praised her and attacked Special Counsel Jack Smith for telling her - in a court filing - that she was...