will they treat? Trump jury set to reconvene after delay raised expectations

NEW YORK — The jury investigating possible charges against former President Donald Trump is set to meet on Thursday after an unexpected and still unexplained day off.

The jury was scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon, but Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told them to stay home and prepare for a possible hearing the next day, sources tell Our Sister Network. NBC New York. The reason for the delay was unclear. It could be related to another potential witness, new evidence, or any number of factors.

Bragg’s office declined to comment, saying it could not discuss the jury’s questions. The proceedings were shrouded in secrecy, but sources said the prosecutor’s office planned to proceed with the jury on Thursday.

Bragg was seen arriving at his office from Hogan Square in Lower Manhattan ahead of the scheduled meeting.

The world was waiting.

Even if the Manhattan jury meets again as sources suggest is the plan for Thursday, that doesn’t mean the panel will vote on whether to indict Trump on the same day. Legal experts said it was a complicated case and every detail had to be considered for the jury to move forward legally.

An important question is being considered: Whether prosecutors can trust Michael Cohen’s key testimony, particularly after his former lawyer and Trump ally Robert Costello testified on Monday that he was “totally untrustworthy.” reliable”.

“I think the prosecutor now has to ask for a timeout and decide if they can move forward with this case and this witness,” Costello said.

Speculation abounds with the relative silence from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office this week.

Columbia law professor John Coffee suggested the law itself could be a problem for prosecutors because even if the district attorney can prove Trump falsely charged Stormy Daniels the money to hide his silence, that would only constitute an offence. Earning a low-level felony conviction may require linking it to a federal crime.

“New York law says it’s a misdemeanor if you simply tamper with records. It’s a crime if you tamper with the record to hide a crime. But if the crime is a federal crime, it’s a different ball of wax,” Coffee said. “It is not entirely clear whether New York State has jurisdiction or authority to find a violation of a federal crime.”

Federal prosecutors had said the payments constituted illegal and undeclared aid to the Trump campaign. But they declined to press charges against Trump himself. The former president has denied all charges against him.

The latest developments come days after Trump told the world he expected to be arrested and urged his supporters to “PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST” in New York, where crowds of NYPD officers, law enforcement Secrets and other officers secured the perimeter outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of a possible indictment by the jury.

Protests have been intermittent and largely silenced so far. Some members of the New York Republican Youth Club donned MAGA hats and demonstrated outside Manhattan Criminal Court earlier this week, and Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan was the scene of a handful of impromptu protests.

It’s unclear whether a potential organized action could escalate if the jury actually chooses to indict Trump, which would be the first indictment of a former US president, but with the veil of the January 6 insurrection. that is still looming, NYPD and its law enforcement partners at all levels of government are preparing accordingly.

Trump would be concerned about optics if impeached. The New York Times he quoted friends and associates saying the former president was ready for his criminal march, and even openly wondered if he should smile at the gathered media. He reportedly reflected on audience reaction and described the potential show as a fun experience, according to the Times.

Trump’s friends and associates told The Times that no one knows if his comments were bravado or outright resignation about what lies ahead.

From los últimos desarrollos, no ha habito planes ni solicitudes para que Trump, quien ha estado en su propiedad de Mar-a-Lago en Florida y no ha commentado sobre el retraso del gran jurado, viaje a la ciudad esta semana, dijeron the sources. .

A virtual impeachment in the event of an indictment seems unlikely, given the historical significance of such a procedure.

Luis Alejandro Medina informs us.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? COULD TRUMP STILL RUN? AND MORE QUESTIONS

District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has been investigating allegations of silent payments to women, including Stormy Daniels, who allegedly had sex with the former president. Trump refused to testify before the jury. Possible charges include falsifying business documents related to payments made during his 2016 campaign.

It’s one of many investigations that are intensifying as Trump prepares for his third presidential election. He has denied any allegations of wrongdoing and accuses prosecutors of engaging in a politically motivated “witch hunt” to harm his campaign.

Impeachment would not prevent Trump from maintaining his 2024 presidential bid. There is no ban on running against criminal charges, or even after a conviction. In fact, convicted felons have run for president before.

If Bragg does win an indictment, legal experts say there will be a number of thorny procedural issues over how to provide a fair trial.

“If you’re going to sue someone like Donald Trump, you better have an incredibly strong case,” said Arthur Aidala, an attorney who has represented high-profile clients like Rudy Giuliani, Harvey Weinstein and Meek Mill.

If Trump is indicted, Aidala predicts the defense would request a change of venue, given the largely Democratic bloc from which the jury would be drawn. Aidala said she did not believe a venue change would be granted.