Discussion: Manafort Trial Delayed After Judge's Private Discussions With Attorneys

TPM Article Topics
122

Comparing mountains to be climbed is simply a matter of scale.

123

Perhaps Muller should tell the Judge his name is in the book?

124

“I can do anything I like in MY courtroom!”
“It is not yours, it belongs to the people of the United States.”
“Whaaa?”

1 Like
125

Well from what you linked, it’d be a Hail Mary unless Ellis didn’t admonish the defense as well when they make they’re case and Manafort agreed to waive Double Jeopardy which I have to doubt he would.

The good news is that Mueller’s team has a lot of documents as evidence which is hard for someone to bias and should guarantee a conviction on some of the counts at least.

1 Like
126

A lifetime appoint is a tremendous ego inflator and Federal judges are notorious and run their courtrooms with iron fists. Ellis is apparently notorious but he got away with the bad behavior because the wider world never noticed or had reason to notice.

This is different and he was so full of himself, he was the last to get it. Based upon his behavior the last couple days, he’s now figured out that he has a real problem on his hands. And again the chief judge of the NDVA made have helped bring clarity to his situation.

I’m guessing at the very least, Mueller’s team is using the threat of a motion for mistrial to press the judge for some serious curative instructions.

14 Likes
127

No proof of this yet, but it would certainly make sense. The Defense has now really seen the case against them, and what defense can they really make at this point? It would be very reasonable that they see the writing on the wall. (On the other hand, it is a bit late to be making a plea, and Manafort may still be delusional.)

2 Likes
128

The failure of Manafort to cop a plea before now has been inexplicable. They knew what the evidence was long before now. The prosecution can’t introduce anything into evidence that has not been disclosed and both side had to exchange all exhibits before the trail. Manafort’s only surprise would be the behavior of the judge.

Having spent millions on attorney fees to only now cop doesn’t make any sense to me, but what do I know? Anything is possible.

3 Likes
129

How much time would he take to rule on that, since he didn’t address it when they came back today?

2 Likes
130

Trial has resumed. Seems to be much ado about relatively little.

131

You don’t discuss plea deal during bench conferences. .

2 Likes
132

COVFEFE!!! (No British spellings allowed here.)

3 Likes
133

Not if you understand his overweening sense of entitlement.
Manafort has always gotten away with being a dishonest, greedy little shit.
He believes he can still get away with it.

7 Likes
134

Plea deal imminent…?

135

Well, write what you know etc. If you don’t know much you tend to write about bodily functions.

2 Likes
136

Surely this observation has already been made, but the Judge sounds like someone from a Rumpole episode.

2 Likes
137

Lord John Whorfin: History is-a made at night. Character is what you are in the dark.

1 Like
138

OK – since someone mentoned Buckaroo Banzai — I couldn’t resist this - from my youth.

Mission Control: Buckaroo, The White House wants to know is everything ok with the alien space craft from Planet 10 or should we just go ahead and destroy Russia?

Buckaroo Banzai: Tell him yes on one and no on two.

Mission Control: Which one was yes, go ahead and destroy Russia… or number 2?

1 Like
139

Was the bank fraud at the tap end of the bath?

2 Likes
140

“It’s BigbootAY.”

3 Likes
141

Still waiting for Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League.

But since I retired from Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems, I’m kind of out of the loop.

1 Like