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'All the way to the Supreme Court': Trump's ex-attorney says legal strategy is to fight every step of trial https://t.co/4rI0rEDUFR

— Raw Story (@RawStory) June 13, 2023

Southern Florida's federal courts are known for their speedy "rocket docket," but the ex-president's lawyers hope to push back the trial a few months at a time and will almost certainly challenge any conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, attorney Tim Parlatore told Axios.

Which lawyers would that be?  Kise?  He's the only one in SDFL at the moment.  emptywheel thinks Kise will pro hac vice Todd Blanche in.  But they still need a CIPA expert, as well as someone who can get clearance (Kise was a registered agent of Venezuela, it's doubtful he can get clearance.  This is not Trump in the White House forcing Jared's clearance, any more.)  Without that, all these motions are pointless.  Especially if they start filing motions Cannon grants they way she did before (when she shouldn't have even let Trump's case in the courthouse door).  Lawyers have to be competent in order to slow down a trial date.  Throwing shit against the wall to see what sticks is not a legal strategy, and as several have noted, the courts are on to Trump's delaying tactics.

As I say, I've seen a federal judge turn a three week trial into a 5-day-and-it's-in-th-hands-of-the-jury, trial.  SDFL prides itself on its "rocket docket."  They can force that issue if they want to, and not much Trump can do about it. Especially if DOJ gets it away from Cannon, which is very much a live option.

And going to the Supremes?  Yeah, right.  Everything doesn't stop in the trial court just because you appeal a ruling; and a lot of rulings aren't subject to interlocutory appeal.  Sooner or later those attempts draw diminishing returns. And frankly, there’s not a lot that can be appealed until a final verdict is in.

Where does Trump get all these competent lawyers?  Experts in CIPA, lawyers with clearance, appellate lawyers who can navigate the 11th Circuit?  He can't even get new lawyers to represent him at his arraignment today.

“I wouldn't foresee this thing getting tried within a year,” said Parlatore, who left Trump's legal team last month. If there's ever a case that you know from the inception that it's going to go all the way to the Supreme Court this is it." 

Parlatore predicted the former president's lawyers to file "fairly substantive motions to dismiss" the case, which will be presided over by Trump-appointed district court judge Aileen Cannon.

Again, who is going to make this motion? Without seeing the evidence? (Much of it classified.) And based on what? The PRA? The “Clinton socks case”? (Which isn’t a case, at all.) The piercing of attorney-client privilege? (That’s not a strong ground, either. “Law of the case,” at this point.) 

I can’t predict the future; but neither can Parlatore. Frankly, he needs to give up his 15 minutes. I don’t think it’s paying dividends.