Looks Like Another Busy “Verdict Watch” Week Again Next Week

Just when you thought the madness may be coming to an intermission, you’re wrong!@ But before we get started, just a little judicial aside that occurred today that gave me the warm-fuzzies.

This is a prefect example of how the judge sometimes makes the case. Trump super slob and nihilist Steve Two Shirts Bannon got indicted for contempt of congress for basically just blowing off multiple subpoenas. So did Trump acolyte, blowhard, and major douche nozzle Peter Navarro. Bannon was convicted several months ago, but thanks to a friendly, Trump appointed judge, Bannon is still wandering around stinking up his laundry while his case is on appeal. Navarro got a judge with an IQ above room temperature. He was convicted a couple of weeks ago, and yesterday the judge ordered him to report to lockup to begin his four month sentence. Hey! Joy where you find it.

But as busy las this week was, next week doesn’t figure to get any quieter, and the next couple of weeks beyond that may be more of the same. Here’s a brief approximate schedule of possible things to come;

• Today NY district Judge Lewis Kaplan formally entered the $83.3 million E Jean Carroll judgement into the record. This is important because Traitor Tot is now on a 30 day timer to pony up an $83.3 million surety bond if he wants to appeal. The contents of which will become public record
• Earlier this week Manhattan judge Arthur Engoron wrote Trump’s lawyers, asking for any information on a possible plea deal for Trump witness Allan Weisselberg for perjury. The probity of Weisselberg’s word could affect the judgement. Trump’s lawyers basically tossed Engoron double barrel birds, calling the request unprecedented and disturbing. Judge Engoron fired back today, telling Trump’s ambulance chasers that this sh*t was getting old, and just answer the damn question. We should hear something next week
• Trump is scheduled for a status hearing on Thursday in a Manhattan court for his upcoming trial for election interference for the conspiracy with David Pecker and AMI to quash Stormy Daniels’ story of their affair. This hearing could help to determine if El Pendejo Presidente is on the launch pad for a March 25th trial date
• Trump has until 5 PM on Monday to request a stay on the DC appellate court’s rejection of his immunity claim, otherwise the case reverts to Judge Chutkan to put him on the runway for a spring trial. This could be critical because
• There is reporting tonight that once The Cheeto Prophet files his stay pending appeal on Monday, there may be a grand bargain afoot in the Supreme Court. They’ll kill two birds with one stone. First, they’ll rule against Colorado keeping Trump off the ballot, and turn right around and deny Trump’s request for an appeal, specifically sending his case back to Judge Chutkan for a spring or early summer trial. OUCH!

Sweet Jesus! I haven’t seen a week of potential legal thunder and lightening like that sine the last Law and Order marathon. And there’s even more potential fun coming up in the next two weeks or so. But since you guys are so faithful, I’m going to give you a bonus Friday night news dump. Full Disclosure This is pure speculation on my part.

I think the carbuncle is about to pop. Recently Trump’s legal carp in Florida put a request before Kindergarten Judge Aileen Cannon, requesting that Special Counsel make more information available to them under discovery, including the names of the FBI agents who raided Trump’s putt-putt golf resort, as well as potential prosecution witnesses.

Special Counsel Jack Smith responded with a request to decline the motion, based on the fact that Trump’s supporters have already proven they favor intimidation tactics, including against law enforcement when they can, and also due to an active federal investigation into witness tampering. 

Today Traffic Court Judge Cannon ordered Smith to turn over the information, and even indicated that she may be sympathetic to turning some of the discovery information over to the public under 1st Amendment grounds, which the Trump team hadn’t even requested!

NO! NO! NO! This is a total abrogation of long standing judicial ethics and rulings. Every judge, local, county, state, and federal are ferally devoted to the safety of witnesses and jurors. It’s a judicial no-brainer. For Christ’s sake, federal judge Lewis Kaplan, at the end of the E Jean Carroll trial, before releasing the jury, severely admonished them to do everything in their power to avoid being identified as a juror in this case, for their own personal safety.

From where I’m sitting, this is the moment that Special Counsel Jack Smith has been waiting for. He has stoically put up with more preferential bullsh*t than any prosecutor should have to tolerate, due to the natural judicial reluctance of an appellate court removing an assigned judge without overwhelming evidence of favoritism or incompetence.

But this is a bridge too far. With her ruling Judge cannon has made it clear that she is more than willing to put state and federal law enforcement officers at physical risk by releasing their information, she’ll actively interfere in an ongoing federal investigation into witness intimidation, and tops it with a cherry by indicating that she personally may be ready to dox federal agents and potential witnesses by making their private information public.

Here’s my prediction. Sometime next week, look for Special Counsel Jack Smith to file a two pronged appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. The first part of the appeal will ask that the appellate court overturn Judge Cannon’s ruling that the confidential agent and witness information be made available to the public, as well as barring her from releasing the information publicly.

The second prong of the carving fork will be a request to have federal district judge Aileen Cannon recused from the case, and a new judge assigned.

Smith doesn’t need to even refer to her preferential rulings for Trump, that would only inflame the issue. Cannon is already a two time loser in the 11th Circuit. First the court slapped her down for interjecting herself into the Special Master motion, when she had no legal or judicial standing to do so. And when she ignored them and went hog wild on keeping the FBI from examining its own documents, the court shut her down, reversing her ruling, terminating the Special Master, and giving the government control of their own documents back.

Forget favoritism, Smith doesn’t need it. Smith can compellingly argue that by almost every ruling delaying the right to a speedy trial with indecisiveness, topped by a willingness to place federal agents and potential witnesses in physical danger, possibly by doxing them herself, Judge cannon is too inexperienced and unqualified to run this trial.

Pretty much everybody knew this was coming. Most pundits and legal analysts though that Smith would wait until Cannon made a really sh*tty ruling on the admissibility of classified documents to pull the trigger. But in here ruling today, Cannon gave Smith a twofer I don’t think he can resist. First, her willingness to endanger federal agents and potential witnesses shows her mammoth incompetence. Second, of the 11th Circuit acts expeditiously, depending on how the court calendars work out, a judge ruling to fast track the trial could lead to Augist or September trial date, before the November election. What Smith has always wanted.

Keep an eye on this. because whether it’s now or later, there is no way that Smith can allow Cannon to take this case to conclusion without a challenge. The earlier the better. Don’t touch that dial.

I thank you for the privilege of your time.