This just popped up on Twitter, but since the tweeter is the senior legal affairs columnist for the Los Angeles Times, I’m going to share it without getting a second, independent corroboration.
Twitter is going bonkers over this, but bear in mind, the only person who said an indictment and an arrest was an immediate thing was Donald Trump.
And also bear in mind, this could be a good thing, if Fani Willis is now going to go forward with her case first. The Stormy Daniels indictment, when and if it came, was not likely to land Trump in prison. The matter in Georgia is something different.
Bragg Manhattan GJ reportedly set to take a break and hear no evidence FOR A MONTH "due to a previously scheduled hiatus." Huh?! That's nuts, and it's not just b/c of a previous schedule. Must be a tactical decision perhaps having to do w/ Fulton County and not going 1st.
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) March 29, 2023
Very interesting indeed if that is the case.
If this seems to be anti-climactic, remember, the only person who was saying that an indictment was happening immediately was Donald Trump. Everybody else was tracking developments as they broke and making projections. Trump was the only one to come up with a Tuesday arrest and that allowed him to grift $1.5 million in small dollar donations that weekend.
The Tuesday indictment never happened and now it looks like it could be postponed for quite a while.
Trump can breathe easy for the moment.
Isn’t Fani Willis under fire from her own state government? Maybe that changes the speed and order of things. I hear they’re passing a law saying she not only doesn’t exist, she NEVER EXISTED! Trump followed up by saying it was a perfect non-existence!
Nah, that bit of legislation that’s made everyone think Willis is in danger doesn’t even kick in until mid-2024. Kemp’s ruling faction is no friend of Trump and are quite happy to let her do her job. What that legislation ACTUALLY is about? Well, remember the cute games Kemp played as Georgia’s Secretary of State while running for Governor and it suddenly makes more sense.
This will cause Trump to claim the GJ has been disbanded and charges dropped?
Oh, wait, he already has.
I did a search and found a story on Politico talking about this grand jury’s schedule. It notes the hiatus was planned, as well as it being scheduled to hear evidence on another case in the days before the planned hiatus. It also notes Bragg can change things up or call them in for a day if he wants to. The whole thing seems kind of fuzzy around the edges, at least to me. However, I find the question you pose about GA and Fani Willis haunting. And troubling. Remember, Cy Vance handed off things to Bragg who could have moved quickly to indict. And he froze like a deer in the headlights. Chickened out. Finally, realizing his career as a public servant and dreams of advancing politically were over unless he took up the case again. But time went by and if he didn’t have to start over from scratch he’s still had to take a lot of time going over it all with a new grand jury.
But things got to where they have gotten and it’s time. Murfster laid out the oh so carefully laid plan to announce the indictment and have the arraignment while Trump was in NYC on another matter. A quick few hours of court/processing and Trump would be winging his way back to FL. Sort of a “surprise” move before Trump could gin up a bunch of outrage. Maybe make things safer and more secure. That fell apart as Trump’s other legal thingy got postponed.
Now, for all his tough talk to Congressional Republicans I fear Bragg’s again getting cold feet. That HE doesn’t want to be the one to stick his neck out and go first with an indictment. There is no good reason, none that he can’t reschedule some of the time originally set aside for that other case(s) and have the grand jury deal with Trump before they go on hiatus. Am I the only one who fears Bragg simply doesn’t want to proceed? That he is in fact intimidated?
Yes…because I’m convinced that he’s found himself a far more solid case to nail Trump with. The original case hinged on Weiselberg’s cooperation, which didn’t happen, making it far more shaky. For prosecutors at every level, conviction rates are sacred. Now, add in how high profile this target is, how locking him up is meaningless if he gets out through a loophole (see Bill Cosby) and how there are plenty of other prosecutor folks who want a piece of Trump. That’s strategy rather than cowardice.
When the indictments hit, I’m convinced it’s going to be all at once. Getting slammed in three different directions legally is hard for GOOD attorneys. Bad ones won’t be able to handle it.
Oh, FYI…that grand jury in New York WILL be meeting again next Monday and Wednesday before the month-long hiatus (which had been planned WELL ahead of time). Anyone leaving off that detail is doing this to scare you…as usual.