Legal Whizzing

RAV Legal Expert panelist says either way the case comes out it will be “appealed by either side” (state can’t appeal) but if Trump gets jail time it won’t happen until the U.S. Supreme Court hears his appeal. Quality analysis. Maybe Christina Bobb wasn’t available. pic.twitter.com/KzBX1iijO7

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 19, 2024

Yeah, criminal cases don’t work that way. Your appeal is pursued while you’re in jail. Final judgments at the trial level are final until a superior court says otherwise. Speaking of which, has Trump ever secured a bond in that fraud case appeal?

Trump warns 'Obama, Bush and Biden in big trouble' if his legal troubles don't vanishhttps://t.co/c3Z7t5J7zL

— Raw Story (@RawStory) April 19, 2024

"If a President does not have Immunity, the Opposing Party, during his/her term in Office, can extort and blackmail the President by saying that, 'if you don’t give us everything we want, we will Indict you for things you did while in Office,' even if everything done was totally Legal and Appropriate," Trump posted on Truth Social. 

"That would be the end of the Presidency, and our Country, as we know it, and is just one of the many Traps there would be for a President without Presidential Immunity." 

"Obama, Bush, and soon, Crooked Joe Biden, would all be in BIG TROUBLE. If a President doesn’t have IMMUNITY, he/she will be nothing more than a 'Ceremonial' President, rarely having the courage to do what has to be done for our Country," the former president added. "This is not what the Founders had in mind! Protect Presidential Immunity. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Does he imagine the Supremes will read this and realize, “Oh, of course!”, and just cancel the arguments?  Or is he, as the Lovely Wife says, just fleecing the rubes? I really think: both and.

Trump spoke in the hallway before re-entering the hold room. Apparently without a sense of irony, he told reporters, “They’ve taken away my constitutional rights to speak and that includes speaking to you.”

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) April 19, 2024

Maggie Haberman picks up the irony baton, brandishes it!

In an update posted to the New York Times' live blog of the proceedings, Haberman wrote that "Trump appears to have fallen asleep in court again," and then added that "it happened several times just now" as "his eyes were closed for extended periods and his head dropped down twice."  

Haberman also had some observations about Trump's appearance as he entered court on Friday. 

"His hair is uncharacteristically messy," she wrote. "Like the wind hit it on the way into court."

Damned windmills! Dems in disarray!