Alina Habba’s Twitter profile lists her as “Litigator, Patriot, GC & Spokesperson For Save America,” among other things. If you want to scroll down several threads on Twitter tonight there are dozens of lawyers who say that the first descriptor, “litigator” is a complete misnomer. It was a shitshow in the E. Jean Carroll case today, and Habba made it clear that she “knows less than a first year public defender.” Ouch. And yet this woman is defending the former president of the United States. It’s this juxtaposition between our highest office and the lowest life form ever to inhabit that space that forms the black comedy which is the American political scene in the year 2024 — and for the past seven, for that matter.
No wonder Joey Tacopina split. Now you see why and you can hardly blame the man. And bear in mind, that Tacopina was considered a loudmouth and a boor — but at least he knew how to litigate. He was an experienced trial lawyer. Habba, on the other hand, is up there being a TV lawyer because she’s not a real one. And I guess that’s how Trump gets lawyers. He finds lawyers who are people like himself, people whose hubris far outweighs their abilities. Yes, Habba’s a lawyer, she is a member of the Bar, but simply having a bar card in your wallet doesn’t equate with being a trial lawyer.
If you can take an hour and listen to Ron Filipkowski’s opinion on what happened in court today, do so. It’s by far the best synopsis you’re going to get. (And he talks about all the other events of this week as well.) Filipkowski starts out with describing how you do cross-examination at its most basic, with referencing a transcript, (of a deposition, for example) and referencing it by page and line. This way everybody is literally on the same page and the hearing is focused on what was said and what is being addressed.
But not Habba. She’s a TV lawyer and so she’s just up there asking, “Do you remember what you told me two years ago about Montana?” with no reference to a transcript and of course the cross-examination broke down totally. Filipkowski describes how the judge took two recesses and in essence told Habba that she needs to consult with somebody who knows how to do something this basic and learn how to do it herself. Yet this woman describes herself as a litigator when she doesn’t know the basics. Prior to 2016 I would have said, “Unbelievable.” Today, it’s par for the course, and definitely so if you’re a denizen of Trump world.
She really is giving Vincent LaGuardia Gambini a run for his money! Her response, when admonished by the judge for not standing was, “Sure.”
Not, “Yes, your honor,” but “Sure.” Surprised she didn’t say, “Whatever.”— greg cantwell (@gregmcantwell) January 18, 2024
This is the part where she's faking being smart
— Keith Olbermann⌚️ (@KeithOlbermann) January 17, 2024
Good Lord! Habba doesn’t know how to impeach a witness with a deposition transcript so the judge has to send the jury out to explain to her how to do it. The difference between a real lawyer and a TV lawyer. pic.twitter.com/R32yvFXwhR
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 17, 2024
I’ve been wracking my brain to come up with an analogy for this Bizarro World behavior on Habba’s part. I can’t believe she actually doesn’t know the basics of cross-examination. It’s a bit like somebody who calls herself a chef walking into a kitchen and not knowing that the first step in making a souflee is in cracking the eggs and separating them into whites and yolks and how that is done — so she just smashes the eggs into a bowl, shell and all, and proceeds with the recipe.
This level of incompetence is positively pyrotechnic. But Habba is a natural for Trump world. She believes that looking the part and sounding the part is all that’s important. As for actually doing the job? Crickets. It’s a shame Lauren Boebert doesn’t have a law degree. Then maybe she would be representing Trump and right now that’s the only more ridiculous thing that I can imagine, after today.
Habba is there to show MAGA goobers cleavage, to give them something to eyeball and drool over when Trump isn’t talking/ranting. And to also make the judge and jurors ignore the facts and law. Unfortunately for him that’s not an effective legal tactic.
Is she setting up for him to appeal due to incompetent representation?
Ted Bundy did a better job representing himself and yet he was executed. Uh oh spagettio!
Her biggest trouble appears to be not knowing how to ‘act smart’.
Made harder by her not knowing how to act.
Or what ‘smart’ is.
Taking “fake it ’til you make it” to a whole new level.
This is why she’d rather be pretty, cause you can always “act smart”.
Looks like she needs more acting lessons. As Ron White says, “you can’t fix stupid”.
Drumpf is a creature of “reality” TV.
Habba looks the part and will get in front of a TV camera and say all the crazy sh*t he wants her to say. The addled old fool thinks if he wins in the court of public opinion, the actual court will have to follow.
“But judge, you can’t convict me. Just look at my POLL NUMBERS!”
I’m guessing she obtained her J.D. from one of those “universities” that provide them after the students watch My Cousin Vinnie and Perry Mason reruns. I have to ask: is the Bar Exam an easy exam to pass? The F.E./E.I.T. and P.E. exams aren’t but of course life safety is involved in what engineers do and watching/listening to this silly lady seems to indicate lawyers provide circus entertainment.
And yet, somehow, Nathan Wade is less qualified than Habba, and should negate Fani Willis’s trial in Georgia? Please.
Looks like someone misinterpreted Waltzingrattilda’s comment. Nathan Wade is well-recognized as a competent prosecutor, and any personal relationship he may have or have had with Fani Willis should have no effect on prosecution of this case. However, Numbnutz Drumpf’s playbook involves creating controversy, and this is another example of him throwing bullcrap at the wall to see if any will stick. MAGA naturally eats it up. W honestly wonders how Barbiedoll Habba could be considered a competent litigator, while Mr. Wade should be disqualified on such superficial grounds.
Maybe if W’s “Please” had been typed, “Oh, PLEASE!!!”, the downvoter would have gotten the point….
Several years ago the ACLU sued the Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach for some laws which restricted registration (had to show birth certificate) for voting for thousands of people. He acted as the lead attorney for the state at the trial. When he was examining witnesses and introducing evidence, he did such a lousy job that the judge, who happened to be a black woman, required that he get six hours of continuing education. And yes, he was the person Trump picked to head up that short-lived election rolls reform / taking voters from the rolls because there was a voter in another state with similar name.
“Only the BEST”, don’t you know…..
she’s a filibusterer.
OOOoohh, “Habba Dabba Doo!” – I LOVE IT!