by WorldTribune Staff, May 21, 2024 Contract With Our Readers
Donald Trump’s lawyers in the New York “hush money” case rested their defense on Tuesday. The former president did not take the stand.
The jury was sent home for a week, until May 28, when closing arguments are expected.
Trump said he has no time to rest.
“I don’t rest. I’d like to rest sometimes but I don’t get to rest” pic.twitter.com/sjQ8vwcpjg
— Still Boneless (@still_boneless) May 21, 2024
Trump’s legal team concluded with testimony from former federal prosecutor Robert Costello, who had been called to attack the credibility of Michael Cohen, the prosecution’s key witness.
What occurred during Costello’s testimony left long-time lawyer and law professor Alan Dershowitz stunned.
Dershowitz, who had a front-row seat at the Trump trial, wrote for the New York Post: “In my 60 years as a lawyer and law professor, I have never seen a spectacle such as the one I observed sitting in the front row of the courthouse yesterday.
“When the defense’s only substantive witness, the experienced attorney Robert Costello, raised his eyebrows at one of New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan’s rulings, the court went berserk,” Dershowitz noted. “Losing his cool and showing his thin skin, the judge cleared the courtroom of everyone including the media.”
Dershowitz continued: “For some reason, I was allowed to stay, and I observed one of the most remarkable wrong-headed biases I have ever seen. The judge actually threatened to strike all of Costello’s testimony if he raised his eyebrows again. That of course would have been unconstitutional because it would have denied the defendant his Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses and to raise a defense.
“It would have punished the defendant for something a witness was accused of doing. Even if what Costello did was wrong, and it was not, it would be utterly improper and unlawful to strike his testimony — testimony that undercut and contradicted the government’s star witness.”
Trump said Tuesday morning before court adjourned: “They have no case. There’s no crime.”
Trump: “Mollie Hemingway, a very smart woman! ‘This is a show trial. There is no actual crime or evidence.’ Mollie Hemingway, respected by everyone, by the way!” pic.twitter.com/dIGPhYGvhz
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) May 20, 2024
On cross examination, Cohen admitted that he had stolen tens of thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization. MSNBC seemingly has no problem with Cohen stealing from the “oppressor.”
Here is MSNBC defending Cohen stealing from his employer
Remember, the communist does not believe in property and will argue theft is justified against the ‘oppressor’pic.twitter.com/OXIRxBGy95
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) May 21, 2024
Florida Republican Rep. Maria Salazar delivered one of the more riveting responses of the day as she condemned both the court proceedings and the legacy media’s coverage of the trial.
Defense rests at NYC trial, but Trump says he cannot rest; Critics blast ‘show trial’ added by Editor Two on
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