#manhattan grand jury

[dontmean2bepoliticalbut]

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

One of the funniest subplots in the Donald Trump Indictment Show—which centers on the hush money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016—involves the multiple reports that, after predicting to his followers that he would be arrested on March 21, the ex-president and his allies came to believe he was in the clear.

Trump, The Washington Post reported late Thursday, “had grown cautiously optimistic” in recent days, after “advisers had counseled him that a possible indictment by a Manhattan grand jury…would not come for some time—if at all.” The former president, the outlet noted, was apparently so unconcerned about the prospect of being charged that he’d “even begun joking about ‘golden handcuffs,’” which is probably not something one does if one thinks there’s a legitimate possibility they might be indicted, convicted, and sentenced to time in prison. “It was a surprise to everybody,” David Urban, a longtime Trump adviser, told the Post, which noted that “some of his lawyers had been preparing to take a few days off.” Following the indictment, The New York Times similarly reported that “Trump and his aides were caught off guard by the timing, believing that any action by the grand jury was still weeks away and might not occur at all.” The paper of record noted that Trump had recently been “telling nearly anyone that he was in a good mood and that he believed the case against him by Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, had fallen apart.”

Of course, the biggest indication that Trump indeed believed he’d outrun Bragg? His taking to Truth Social on Wednesday to write: “I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE…. THE GRAND JURY IS SAYING, HOLD ON, WE ARE NOT A RUBBER STAMP, WHICH MOST GRAND JURIES ARE BRANDED AS BEING, WE ARE NOT GOING TO VOTE AGAINST A PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE OR AGAINST LARGE NUMBERS OF LEGAL SCHOLARS ALL SAYING THERE IS NO CASE HERE.” Sure, that could have been an unabashed attempt to sway the jurors through flattery—but, in retrospect, those very much sound like the words of a man who was extremely confident he was not going to be indicted. “Such respect”! “The grand jury system as a whole”! “The grand jury is saying, hold on”! Do you think he still stands by these statements? If there were ever a time for the internet-ism “ROTFLMAO,” it would be now.

In related news, according to the Times, Trump was less focused on “the legal consequences” of the indictment Thursday than “the political implications.” Trump previously said he would not drop out of the 2024 presidential race if charged, boldly claiming that being indicted might actually help his chances of making it back to the White House. One adviser told the Post that the ex-president and current presidential candidate is planning to “milk [the indictment] for all it’s worth politically.” And while Trump has reportedly raised millions since he first claimed he’d be arrested earlier this month, it does not appear that people are reacting exactly as he had hoped.

Per the Post:

"The causeway that leads to Mar-a-Lago has long been a rally spot for Trump supporters, especially during his presidency, when they would regularly gather to cheer on his motorcade. But as the sun set along the causeway Thursday, more people were fishing for sand perch and croaker than had shown up to support the former president. Shortly before 8 p.m., only a half dozen Trump supporters had amassed in their usual spot."

Meanwhile, according to the Times, on Thursday, “a large group of former Trump Organization employees was quietly cheering the latest developments via text messages.”

[2013venjix]

TRUMP IS INDICTED!!!

[geezerwench]

TRUMP INDICTED

By Manhattan grand jury.

It's about fucking time!

Let the rest of the indictments start rolling in!

[losangelesnewsfeed]

"Unveiling the Truth Behind Donald Trump's Shocking Manhattan Grand Jury Indictment on Over 30 Counts of Business Fraud"

s the news of former President Donald Trump’s indictment continues to make headlines, many people are wondering what this means for the future of American politics. The indictment, which was announced on Wednesday, March 29th, alleges that Trump engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the United States, among other charges. At this point, it is still too early to say exactly what the outcome of…

[dduane]

...It's a start.

ETA: for those of you interested in a.cause-and-effect description of why this has happened now and what it's based on (as the formal charges haven't yet been released), this Twitter thread is a good source.

MOAR ETA: Detail on the charges. (And some of you will be thinking, "Capone..." Yep. :)

[soberscientistlife]

BREAKING: Trump gets brutal news as CNN reports that “in today’s hearing, New York judge just rejected his motion to throw out charges brought by Manhattan’s district attorney in the criminal hush money probe.”

But it gets WAY worse for Trump…

The judge also ruled that Trump “will face his first criminal trial with jury selection on March 25 in New York,” which will give ample time for Trump to be found guilty — and even be sent to prison — before the election in November.

The CNN report continues, revealing that “the decision comes as other criminal charges against Trump in other states have yet to be scheduled, as they are going through with pre-trial motions and being challenged in court. The trial will come in the middle of the ramp up to the general election. Trump was indicted by a grand jury last March on 34 counts of falsifying business records to commit or conceal another crime” when he “engaged in a cover up scheme to hide reimbursement payments made to his former attorney, Michael Cohen who had paid hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels to stop her from going public about a past affair with Trump before the 2016 presidential election.

Accountability season is now officially under way — and there’s now no delaying the inevitable.

Donald Trump will likely be found guilty giving the mountain of incriminating evidence against him — and he may well soon become the first presidential candidate in American history to run a presidential campaign from the cold, dark confines of a prison cell.

TICK TOCK DONALD

[dontmean2bepoliticalbut]

Soon...

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Donald Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud in an indictment from a Manhattan grand jury, according to two sources familiar with the case -- the first time in American history that a current or former president has faced criminal charges.

Trump is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.

The indictment has been filed under seal and will be announced in the coming days. The charges are not publicly known at this time.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating the former president in connection with his alleged role in a hush money payment scheme and cover-up involving adult film star Stormy Daniels that dates to the 2016 presidential election. Grand jury proceedings are secret, but a source familiar with the case told CNN that a witness gave about 30 minutes of testimony before it voted to indict Trump.

The decision is sure to send shockwaves across the country, pushing the American political system -- which has never seen one of its ex-leaders confronted with criminal charges, let alone while running again for president -- into uncharted waters.

Trump released a statement in response to the indictment claiming it was "Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history."

"I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden," the former president said. "The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. So our Movement, and our Party -- united and strong -- will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Trump was caught off guard by the grand jury's decision to indict him, according to a person who spoke directly with him. While the former president was bracing for an indictment last week, he began to believe news reports that a potential indictment was weeks -- or more -- away.

"Is this a shock today? Hell yes," the person said, speaking on a condition of anonymity as Trump's team calculated its response.

Bragg's office said it is in touch with Trump's lawyers.

"This evening we contacted Mr. Trump's attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.'s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal," the district attorney's office said in a statement Thursday. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."

The legal action against Trump jolts the 2024 presidential campaign into a new phase, as the former president has vowed to keep running in the face of criminal charges.

Trump has frequently called the various investigations surrounding him a "witch hunt," attempting to sway public opinion on them by casting himself as a victim of what he's claimed are political probes led by Democratic prosecutors. As the indictment reportedly neared, Trump urged his supporters to protest his arrest, echoing his calls to action following the 2020 election as he tried to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden.

Trump has long avoided legal consequences in his personal, professional and political lives. He has settled a number of private civil lawsuits through the years and paid his way out of disputes concerning the Trump Organization, his namesake company. As president, he was twice impeached by the Democratic-led House, but avoided conviction by the Senate.

In December, the Trump Organization was convicted on multiple charges of tax fraud, though Trump himself was not charged in that case.

Trump's Republican allies -- as well as his 2024 GOP rivals -- have condemned the Manhattan district attorney's office over the looming indictment, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has vowed to launch an investigation into the matter.

GOP RALLIES TO TRUMP'S DEFENSE

Congressional Republicans quickly rallied to Trump's defense, attacking Bragg on Twitter and accusing the district attorney of a political witch hunt.

"Outrageous," tweeted House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, one of the Republican committee chairmen who has demanded Bragg testify before Congress about the Trump investigation.

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, called the indictment "completely unprecedented" and said it is "a catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the justice system."

But at least one moderate Republican told CNN he trusted the legal system.

"I believe in the rule of law. I think we have checks and balances and I trust the system," said Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska.

"We have a judge. We have jurors. There is appeals. So I think in the end, justice will be done. If he's guilty it will show up. But if not, I think that will be shown too," Bacon told CNN.

INVESTIGATION BEGAN UNDER CY VANCE

Bragg's office had signaled as recently as early March that they were close to bringing charges against Trump after they invited the ex-president to testify before the grand jury probing the hush money scheme. Potential defendants in New York are required by law to be notified and invited to appear before a grand jury weighing charges. But Trump ultimately declined to appear before the panel.

The long-running investigation first began under Bragg's predecessor, Cy Vance, when Trump was in office. It relates to a $130,000 payment made by Trump's then-personal attorney Michael Cohen to Daniels in late October 2016, days before the 2016 presidential election, to silence her from going public about an alleged affair with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the affair.

At issue in the investigation is the payment made to Daniels and the Trump Organization's reimbursement to Cohen.

According to court filings in Cohen's own federal prosecution, Trump Organization executives authorized payments to him totaling $420,000 to cover his original $130,000 payment and tax liabilities and reward him with a bonus. The Trump Organization noted the reimbursements as a legal expense in its internal books. Trump has denied knowledge of the payment.

[reasonsforhope]

"A New York grand jury has indicted Donald Trump on allegations linked to a business records investigation related to a "hush money" payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump is the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges. His attorney Susan Necheles confirmed the indictment. No other details have been released yet.

The specific charge or charges have not yet been made public, and one Trump attorney told CBS News his legal team is "still waiting to learn" details of the indictment.

Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg's office said in a statement that it had contacted Trump's attorney "to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.'s office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal," and more guidance would be provided "when the arraignment date is selected." ...

The case stems from a payment made just days before Trump was elected president in 2016. His former attorney, Michael Cohen, arranged a $130,000 wire transfer to Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged affair...

The indictment comes as Trump faces other potential criminal cases. In Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis is mulling charges in an investigation into alleged efforts by Trump and more than a dozen of his allies to undermine [Georgia]'s results in the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden. A special purpose grand jury conducted a six-month probe last year and delivered a report with its findings to Willis in January. The majority of that report was ordered sealed, at least until charging decisions are made.

In Washington, D.C., special counsel Jack Smith is overseeing two Justice Department investigations into alleged efforts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, and Trump's handling of sensitive government documents [note: specifically top secret, classified documents] found at his Mar-a-Lago home and possible obstruction of efforts to retrieve them."

-via CBS News, 3/30/23

TRUMP'S BEEN INDICTED

And by the way he is going to have to surrender himself to the Manhattan DA's office...

Where he will be arrested, fingerprinted, and have his mug shot taken.

(Obviously/sadly he's going to be released instead of held in jail until trial, but STILL)

-via BBC News, 3/30/23

[fandom]

Trans rights are human rights.

March 31 marked Trans Day of Visibility, and we saw an outpouring of support, awareness, and uplifting of the trans community. The Welcome Home ARG is taking Tumblr by storm, and it seems like everyone is in agreement that Wally Darling is just a silly little guy. The new season of Succession is bringing folks’ favorite dysfunctional family back to the small screen. April Fools’ Day came and went, with standouts being @brickwhartley’s reactions, @sonicthehedgehog’s new game, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, and, of course, the tenth anniversary of the Mishapocalypse. We got our first look at The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s gameplay, and, well, it’s gonna be chaotic. Oh, and Donald Trump, the former president of the United States, was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury for over 30 counts related to business fraud. This is Tumblr’s Week in Review.

The Welcome Home ARG

Succession

Wally Darling | Welcome Home

Resident Evil 4

RWBY

April Fools' Day

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Trigun Stampede

Buddy Daddies

Donald Trump

Artists on Tumblr

Ted Lasso

Sonic the Hedgehog

Mishapocalypse

Star Wars

Trans Day of Visiblity

Vash the Stampede | Trigun Stampede

Leon Kennedy | Resident Evil 4

The Mandalorian

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

[brennacedria]

John Oliver is losing his shit right now.

[fandomsandfeminism]

[beardedmrbean]

A judge has denied a motion by attorneys for Daniel Penny, the U.S. Marine veteran who placed Jordan Neely in a deadly chokehold aboard a New York City subway last year, to dismiss the case.

The decision came in court on Wednesday. The judge ordered Penny back to court in late March. His trial is tentatively expected to start in the fall. Penny's attorney didn't comment after the hearing.

Penny, 24, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the May 1 death of Neely, a former Michael Jackson impersonator who was shouting and begging for money on the Manhattan train, according to witnesses.

Penny pinned him to the ground with the help of two other passengers and held him in a chokehold for more than three minutes. Neely, 30, lost consciousness during the struggle.

The chokehold death, which was caught on bystander video, prompted fierce debate, with some praising Penny as a good Samaritan and others accusing him of racist vigilantism. Penny is white and Neely was Black.

In an October court filing, Penny's attorneys highlighted testimony from grand jury witnesses who were on the May 1 train. One of those riders, the motion reads, was afraid he “was going to die” when Neely approached.

To get a manslaughter conviction, which carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years, prosecutors would have to prove Penny recklessly caused Neely's death while being aware of the risk of serious harm.

A conviction for criminally negligent homicide would require the jury to find that Penny unjustifiably put Neely at risk of death, but failed to perceive that risk. The maximum penalty would be four years in prison.

Penny, who served in the Marines for four years and was discharged in 2021, has said he acted to protect himself and others from Neely. In a video statement released by his lawyers weeks after the incident, Penny claimed Neely repeatedly said “I’m gonna kill you,” and that he was ready to die or spend his life in prison.

Neely's family members and their supporters have said Neely, who struggled with mental illness and homelessness, was crying out for help and was met with violence.