The prosecution asks that the defense be precluded from asking #StormyDaniels whether she was arrested. Justice #Merchan agrees w/the prosecutors, saying that “anybody can be arrested” & that it “doesn’t prove anything.”
The people call Stormy Daniels back to the stand
#Trump atty #Necheles begins questioning by saying that in 2011, Daniels denied having had sex w/Trump.
"Testimony was so unduly prejudicial to Trump & the charges in this case..."
Trump atty #Blanche argues that the testimony was overly #prejudicial, & that the State was asking questions “to inflame this jury,” in addition to the “pure embarrassment” factor. He says there’s no way the court can instruct the #jury in a way to “unring this bell.”
Among the issues that Todd #Blanche brings up as he calls for a #mistrial is #StormyDaniels’s testimony that #Trump didn’t wear a condom. He argues that this testimony was deeply #prejudicial to his client — & asked what the jury is supposed to do w/ much of the info they received from Daniels’ testimony.
Prosecutor #Hoffinger argues that Daniels's story is important for #motive (as said) & #intent, to illustrate what Trump didn’t want the public to know before the election.
charges are falsifying business records to hide #HushMoney payments in lead up to 2016 election to #influence electorate
just one Trump supporter at the courthouse draped in a Trump flag.
#StormyDaniels's lawyer, #KeithDavidson, to return to stand. He negotiated the hush-money payment at the center of the case, & is expected to lay out details of the deal.
The lawyers are arguing about the #AccessHollywood tape & how it can be introduced.
It’s hard to imagine anyone who isn’t familiar with what #Trump says on the tape, even the jurors.
Justice #Merchan, who has allowed evidence related to the tape, will not let it be heard or watched in court, because he thinks it would be too #prejudicial.
Merchan is displaying his judicial fairness here, despite what Trump, #RightWingMedia & #MAGA claim.
In one of the toughest exchanges at the hearing so far, Rep Adam Schiff excoriated fmr special counsel #RobertHur for issuing a “deeply #prejudicial” report that hurt President #Biden’s #political standing by suggesting his mental faculties were failing.
“You were not born yesterday, you understood exactly what you were doing,” Schiff said. “You cannot tell me you’re so naive to think your words would not have created a political firestorm.”
“What I understood is the regulations” #Hur referred to #DOJ policy that says special counsel reports should be #confidential to the AG. But AG #MerrickGarland had made clear BEFOREHAND he would release much of Hur’s report.
“You must have understood the impact of your words” Schiff said & accused Hur of injecting “your own personal #prejudicial#subjective opinion of the president, one you knew would be amplified by his #political opponent. You had to understand that & you did it anyway”