Dina’s Docket: Weekly Trump Recap (4/26/24)
Friday, April 26, 2024
Another week, another round of updates in the many ongoing Trump trials. (The nonpartisan nonprofit JUST SECURITY has a fabulous master calendar of key dates in Trump’s trials.)
New York (Criminal Trial)
Opening statements started on Monday in Trump's New York criminal case, where his lawyer said that he was a family guy and that's why he was buying and burying the stories. However, the fact is not one family member has shown up — especially his wife — which makes the lawyer look not credible…which is not great for the jury.
The judge also (not in front of the jury) questioned the his lawyer's credibility in the gag order arguments. We are still waiting to hear what the judge is going to say about the gag order. David Pecker, the publisher of the National Enquirer, testified all week to this “buy and bury” scheme. When a photo of he and Trump at the White House was shown, Pecker testified that Trump was turning to him and asking about Karen McDougal. So, if you had any question that this case was actually an election interference case, this photo is pretty strong evidence.
The Supreme Court
There was also a major Supreme Court hearing this week on presidential immunity. When asked whether or not a president would have immunity for a military coup, Trump's lawyer answered that it depends on the circumstances. We will not hear the result until the end of June. My guess is they're not going to allow absolute immunity, but the type of immunity will end up being decided by the lower court, which means that this trial is probably not going to go before the election.
Additional Updates
Trump also lost a motion for a new trial in the E. Jean Carroll case this week, and Trump's private attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and others were indicted on the fake elector scheme in Arizona.
Have questions about what’s going on in Trump’s trials? Email me at press@askdinadoll.com or drop a comment below. Make sure to follow me on social media where I post recap videos every Friday along with a ton of other legal news analysis: @askdinadoll
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