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LIVE UPDATES FROM NYC TRUMP TRIAL: The Gateway Pundit Contributor Paul Ingrassia Reports from Judge Merchan’s Kangaroo Courthouse – Jury Deliberations Continue

May 30, 2024
Jim Hoft

President Donald Trump is back in court today on Thursday in Juan Merchan’s kangaroo court in New York City.

The prosecution has yet to define the alleged criminal act that President Trump committed. But it doesn’t matter. The court is ready to find Trump guilty and send him to prison.

Judge Merchan told jurors they did not have to agree on a crime. They just had to agree something bad happened. This, of course, is completely unconstitutional.

The Gateway Pundit contributor Paul Ingrassia is attending the proceedings in New York City today. Paul has been live-reporting from inside the Merchan kangaroo court for several days now.

Paul ended his reporting yesterday with this analysis:

The jury will deliberate between 10 AM and 4:30 PM today.

We will be posting Paul Ingrassia’s live updates below.

Paul Ingrassia is joined today by Judge Jeanine Piro, Attorney Andrew McCarthy, Andrew Giuliani, Ashley Lamb and Kasondra Watkins.

Paul Ingrassia and Andrew Giuliani spoke outside the courthouse this morning as the show trial deliberations continue inside.

Paul Ingrassia 9:31 AM: RECAP: Bragg combined two misdemeanor crimes to create a felony because both of their statutes of limitations expired.

The question of how, by combining these two crimes, it revives the falsification misdemeanor and elevates it to a felony, remains unanswered. A pivotal point that has gone overlooked — the statute in question is unclear, and does not expressly state, that two misdemeanors make a felony.

But even if that were somehow true, myriad other legal issues abound. First, the “smorgasbord of options” issue that Merchan described yesterday, in which the jurors were effectively licensed to “mix and match” different predicate crimes in order to help reach a guilty verdict.

The three “predicate crimes” were an FEC violation, and two tax-related violations. The problem with the FECA law is that this should not be an issue in a state court. State courts do not have jurisdiction to rule on Federal Election-related matters, which are highly complex and have their own separate set of rules. This is why President Trump’s counsel wanted to bring in an FEC expert witness. Even though the issue should not have been brought into state court in the first place, at the bare minimum, have an authority on election law to explain what these highly intricate laws mean and how they should be interpreted. Merchan is far from an expert in anything, especially federal election law. He’s an “acting” state court judge from a low-ranking law school. But of course he prevented that witness from testifying, because he is a tyrant and he alone has the ability, in his words, to say what the law is.

The other two “predicate crimes” — the tax filing violation and books and records violation — are so open-ended and ambiguous as to be impossible to rule on. However, even so, the underlying point stands: no jury is permitted to select a buffet of different crimes to more easily satisfy the burden of proof to fast-track a guilty verdict.

This is a violation of due process, which the Supreme Court has been crystal clear. It is also likely jury tampering, which Merchan has done shamelessly. He would not provide the jurors with written instructions in order to have exclusive control over the law, its application, and interpretation.

Every single aspect of this case has been tainted by impropriety, prejudice, flagrant ethical breaches, and rule violations of the most egregious and highest order. President Trump’s fundamental constitutional rights, including due process and the right to speak freely, have been denied by this so-called Judge with impunity. Whatever the verdict, any right-minded appeals court will toss this case out without a second thought — because the violations are so blatant from top to bottom.

Paul Ingrassia 9:33 AM: BREAKING: Norm Eisen, one of the legal masterminds of all the lawfare being waged against President Trump, was spotted in the courthouse overflow room today.

This is a man who should not be within 200 miles of any courthouse in America, for all the damage he has done to the rule of law in this country.

Paul Ingrassia 9:39 AM: BREAKING: President Trump and his legal team enter the courtroom. He is donning a bright blue tie. Yet again, Juan Merchan disrespects the office of the presidency by referring to the 45th president and frontrunner to be the 47th president (by a lot!) as “Mr. Trump.”

Paul Ingrassia 9:47 AM: BREAKING: Merchan is doubling down on his commitment to not provide the jury with written instructions, which is not customary for most courts.

In a case as convoluted as this one, in particular, where most lawyers and veteran legal analysts have difficulties wrapping their heads around the law, it is unfathomable why Merchan would only want to further complicate things by not providing written jury instructions.

His motive is clear: like any tyrant, he alone wants complete control over the law, and how it should be applied. This is a subtle form of jury tampering. He is intimidating the jurors, 10 of 12 of whom are not lawyers, into pressuring them to seek advisement from Merchan, who can then guide the verdict in the way he thinks is best by telling them how the law must be interpreted.

Paul Ingrassia 10:05 AM: BREAKING: Merchan now describing the burden of proof, beyond a reasonable doubt, to the jury. Explains that the burden of proof is on the People, not the Defendant.

Now mumbles and rushes through the definition of a burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Merchan effectively lowered the burden of proof in this case by giving the jurors “options” of crimes to choose from, in order to elevate the underlying falsification crime from a misdemeanor to a felony.

This is a flagrant violation of due process because it violates the principle of jury unanimity. As @JeffClarkUS rightly pointed out on here a few days ago: “Merchan needs to acquaint himself with Ramos v. Louisiana from the U.S. Supreme Court,” which spells out these principles clearly and concisely — two words that were evidently lost in translation on Merchan when he migrated to the United States from Colombia.

Paul Ingrassia 10:35 AM: BREAKING: Just a few short years ago it would’ve been unthinkable for an independent journalist like myself to cut against the narrative being pushed by the mainstream media that is working in tandem with Merchan’s court and Biden’s administration, to interfere with the 2024 election. For that reason, we all are indebted to @elonmusk for the courageous and noble task he undertook to purchase @X and fight every single day to keep this platform free, to the best of his abilities.

Without @X, the broader public would be in the dark about the truth of what is happening. We all would be completely dependent on the opinions of far left media pundits like Joy Reid, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Anderson Cooper – all of whom received front row, priority seats by Merchan’s court to shape the narrative for this show trial (in sharp contrast with commentators from right-leaning alternative networks like @NEWSMAX, @RealAmVoice, @RSBNetwork, @OANN, and even @FoxNews, including high-profile journalists with sizable platforms, all of whom were relegated to the overhead press room, if they had access to the courtroom at all – many were denied). The fact that Biden Regime apparatchiks like Jen “circle back” Psaki, and two of the architects of all the lawfare against President Trump – Norm Eisen and Andrew Weissman – also received preferential access to the courtroom is utterly unconscionable, yet further proof of Biden’s direct involvement in this show trial.

It’s easy to forget the tremendous damage that can be done to society by giving a malicious cabal of left-wing activists posing as “mainstream journalists” complete and total control over the narrative, particularly on a story like the Trump Show Trial, one of not just national but global importance.

After all, it was the Joy Reids and Norm Eisens of the world who brainwashed large swathes of the public into believing the overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrators at the Capitol on January 6th 2021, committed “Insurrection,” or that the 2020 presidential election was somehow the “most secure” election in American history (even though nobody can explain why Biden, the most “popular” president, also suffers from the lowest approval ratings in history).

It’s false narratives like these that provided the grounds, ultimately, for the investigations, indictments, and show trials against President Trump, and his legions of supporters, that persist to this day — the real reason for the travesty of justice now occurring in Merchan’s kangaroo courthouse.

This further demonstrates the importance of @X in opening the proverbial floodgates for independent journalists to hold the legacy media accountable, which are, for all intents and purposes, rank propagandists (and not very good ones) for the Biden Regime.

Although @X has made substantial inroads toward getting the truth out, serious problems remain on this platform. Importantly, the voices of honest journalists like myself, @AndrewHGiuliani, @JonathanTurley, @AndrewCMcCarthy, and others here, are still being throttled, shadow banned, and in some cases, outright censored by nefarious shadow actors operating nefariously behind closed doors.

It is thus of critical importance that we ring the alarm bells, and make sure this issue front and center for @elonmusk, so his team can review the throttling – both in terms of viewership and financially – and do everything possible to ensure his platform remains open to all voices, including those who have sacrificed the most to tell the truth.

Paul Ingrassia 10:35 AM: BREAKING: In yet another display of Merchan’s “brilliance,” rather than give the jury written transcripts of the requested testimony involving the meetings between Pecker and Cohen (which would be much easier for everyone), he is having the testimony instead be read out loud in the courtroom.

This so-called Judge is clearly a micromanager and control freak, and wants his hand in every single aspect of the proceeding to lead the jury to the desired verdict. Not a good look! Jury tampering!

Paul Ingrassia 10:52 AM: BREAKING: Few people are talking about just how difficult it is to follow the spoken testimony of the requested transcripts by the jury. The chosen two speakers are reading quickly, occasionally stuttering over some words, and not always enunciating clearly and properly. She’s no Hollywood actor!

President Trump looks aggravated, and you can’t blame him. Hopefully at least a few of the jurors will sympathize with how he feels right now, as they are also being forced through this agonizing process. The “icebox” courtroom remains dark; the blinds are closed, allowing little sunlight in. The courtroom, which is old and needs a serious refurbishing, is lit by stark fluorescent lighting. The seats on which jurors and members of the public sit are hard and uncomfortable. The air doesn’t filter well, resulting in a stuffy courtroom and miserable experience for everyone in attendance.

Paul Ingrassia 10:55 AM: BREAKING: The oral transcript they are now reading for the jury is the cross-examination of David Pecker.

Not sure if the jury is allowed to take notes throughout as they listen to the requested oral transcripts — if they cannot, there is no way for them to follow and process all this information, which is further complicated by the poor enunciation of the chosen two speakers tasked by Merchan to read the testimony. Prosecution and Defense, in addition to the press and members of the public, all are obligated to sit and listen to this testimony.

Paul Ingrassia 11:03 AM: BREAKING: If you’re looking to find my live updates from the Trump Show Trial all in one place, refer to this piece in @gatewaypundit— one of the few places in print media for honest and accurate reporting. Their reporting on this story has been top of the line all throughout — and I encourage all my followers to give them your support. Many thanks to Jim and the entire team! 

Article link.

Paul Ingrassia 11:03 AM: BREAKING: Some of you have asked me about jury observations. I am in the press overflow room today, and thus cannot see the jury or their reactions. The live video feed being streamed into the overflow room, which is situated on the same floor of the courthouse adjacent to the courtroom where the trial is taking place, is very selective in terms of the video and audio it broadcasts.

I can see President Trump, his attorneys, Bragg’s prosecutors, Merchan, and whoever is on the witness stand. I can also hear everything going on in the courtroom. President Trump’s invitees, as well as the members of the public, are visible, but more difficult to make out. I cannot see any of the jurors, because the court wants to protect their identities — which is odd, given that some members of the press, like Anderson Cooper and Lawrence O’Donnell, have preferential access to the courtroom itself and can see everything going on. While other networks, like Newsmax, are forced to air their coverage from across the street.

I promise to get updates, however, from those in the courtroom about the jury — and whether they reacted or behaved in a way that might indicate how they are thinking. Stay tuned!

Paul Ingrassia 11:16 AM: BREAKING: Read back concluded. Merchan now dismissing the jurors from the courtroom, and back into the deliberations room.

Paul Ingrassia 11:24 AM: BREAKING: One of the jurors appears partial to Donald Trump. And frankly, how couldn’t at least one be? Even in deep blue Manhattan, there are still countless Trump supporters — just look how many confronted washed-up actor Robert DeNiro when he made a pathetic display outside the courthouse two days ago as a favor for his buddy, Joe Biden.

In a jury pool of 12, assuming 90% of Manhattan is Democrat, should mean that at least 1 or 2 voted for President Trump in 2020. Granted, the voir dire process always favors the prosecutor’s say over who should be impaneled, particularly so with a biased judge like Merchan. That said, it’s very difficult to believe that you won’t find at least one or two jurors who also think this is a farce and show trial. Remember, we only need 1 for a hung jury.

Based on a report I heard from earlier today, 8 of the 12 are dyed-in-the-wool liberals. Circumstantial evidence of this is found in their news consumption habits: at least eight cited the NY Times as their go-to source for news.

All that said, it’s still incredulous that all twelve would be anti-Trump, or at least suffer from clinical TDS as to remain oblivious to the obvious errors that are riven throughout this proceeding. Again, you only need 1!

Paul Ingrassia 11:50 AM: BREAKING: How is it that an alleged FECA violation could serve as a predicate for a federal crime in a state court?

Merchan’s holier-than-thou approach to judging, in which he believes he can be all three of judge, jury, and executioner of this entire case, is grounds for an investigation. He is bringing in laws on which he has zero grounds at all to form a judgment about. Federal campaign law is entirely outside his purview and jurisdiction. So too is something as open-ended as “tax law violations,” which are equally complicated and fall outside the realm of his highly limited jurisdiction as an acting state court judge.

Some other thorny and problematic legal issues not given enough attention:

First, to the extent they normally have exclusive jurisdiction over enforcing their own rules, does the FEC have the ability to bring CRIMINAL (not just civil) charges against the alleged perpetrator, and if so, can they do it on their own? (And not, for example, by first getting approval through the DOJ?)

Second, how is it that an alleged state election law violation can be brought against President Trump at all? Didn’t he run for President? Last I checked, the President is a federal, not state, office. Moreover, how is it that the state election law is being used to incorporate the three predicate offenses into this proceeding? T

hird, where in the statute that allegedly serves as the basis for Bragg and Merchan’s entire theory of criminal liability against President Trump, allowing them to magically make felonies of misdemeanors, says that you can do just that? First, what law is implicated here? Second, where in the law does it say a class A misdemeanor, having expired due to the statute of limitations, can be raised to a class E felony once accompanied with a predicate crime? I’ve noticed many commentators, including conservatives, taking this assumption for granted: that misdemeanors can be made into felonies willy-nilly based on what the judge says, but that’s far from true. There is no direct link: logically it doesn’t work out, and a close reading of the applicable statutes would show that to be true.

We shouldn’t jump the gun and assume what isn’t true, because we run the risk of accepting narratives contrived, for nefarious purposes, by Biden Regime-approved judges like Merchan, or talking heads like Andrew Weissman and Norm Eisen! The lesson is to be extremely scrupulous and thorough!

Paul Ingrassia 11:59 AM: BREAKING: New Trump Truths released over the past half hour in response to the Biden Show Trial:

Paul Ingrassia 12:35 PM: UPDATE: Jury still deliberating. We are now half past noon and still no verdict, of course.

The longer these deliberations take place, the lesser of a likelihood a verdict will be reached today. And the longer the deliberations, conventional wisdom holds the better it is for the defense.

A lot of the morning was spent re-reading the Cohen and Pecker transcripts, suggesting the jurors are doing a thorough and meticulous read-through of the law and facts.

Thoroughness is likely a good sign, given the numerous legal hurdles that must be overcome in order to meet the burden of proof for each and every component of the complex legal matrix that is Bragg and Merchan’s theory of criminal liability here.

Paul Ingrassia 1:07 PM: BREAKING: I’ll be giving an update on the trial with the great @LouDobbs at 3 PM! Tune in! Also will be giving updates soon on @oann and @RSBNetwork! Stay tuned!

 

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