One Man’s Bait Is Another Man’s Sound Thinking

Hush money judge risks 'taking Trump's bait' with gag order ruling: legal expert https://t.co/D9wsc3qjQP

— Raw Story (@RawStory) April 1, 2024

Shortly thereafter:

Hush money judge tightens Trump's gag order in new ruling https://t.co/K7XT0ZI4YX

— Raw Story (@RawStory) April 2, 2024

I think the argument here is: gag orders are meant to prevent defendants from intimidating witnesses. That intimidation can be indirect as well as direct. In the famous “Godfather” scene, Michael brings in the silent, innocent cousin from Italy. Threatening the judge’s daughter is just as direct a threat to the judge; but she isn’t the judge. Trump can rail (stupidly) against the judge (proving, IMHO, that his emotional development is arrested at about age 3), but if he can attack people related to judges and prosecutors, what might he do to jurors? I think a sound argument can be made this order protects the integrity of the legal system.

We may see; we may not. If Trump wants to waste money on a pre-trial appeal, it won’t alter the trial date by one minute.

Trump posts $175 million bond in New York civil fraud case: report https://t.co/BUDGmNIeLG

— Raw Story (@RawStory) April 2, 2024

Fair is fair: Trump posted the fraud case bond today. That just halts New York from seizing property it would probably hold in escrow anyway, pending outcome of all appeals. Interesting Trump paid the bond premium rather than just give the money to the court (which I think he did for the first Carroll appeal bond). He’s still spending other people’s money, I suspect. No matter; now the real expense starts: the appeals process. He can’t pay a percentage and some installment payments for that. Not unless he has Habba writing the brief in exchange for MAL access.

And if he’s that hard up…