Paul Manafort is being prosecuted because of who he knows. I hope he walks.
Posted by William A. Jacobson Thursday, August 16, 2018 at 9:00pm
https://legalinsurrection.com/2018/...-of-who-he-knows-i-hope-he-walks/#more-257669
The jury has the power to stop this abuse. And so does Donald Trump
The jury ended its first day of deliberations in the prosecution of Paul Manafort in the Eastern District of Virginia. When this trial is over, Manafort faces a second trial on other charges in federal court in D.C.
The jury asked the judge for help understanding “reasonable doubt.” As is usual in these situations, the judge didn’t give much help, explaining that reasonable doubt was “doubt based on reason” but did not require “guilt beyond all possible doubt.”
That the jury would ask such a question probably heartened Manafort’s team, but I wouldn’t read too much into it.
Paul Manafort is a shady character. He may even be a criminal character.
But he undoubtedly is someone who is being prosecuted because of who he knew. That would be one Donald Trump.
Had Manafort not made the decision to join the Trump campaign, tasked with managing the delegate floor fight at the Republican National Convention, Manafort would be leading his prior life of flim flam and influence peddling.
Had Manafort not been associated with the Trump campaign, he would not have been prosecuted. The feds had looked him over and then looked away years earlier.
Manafort’s team made that argument in closing argument coming close to if not exceeding the judge’s prior order barring a defense of selective prosecution:
As a legal defense, selective prosecution may not hold much water. But in reality, this case is all about selective prosecution, and then some.
The prosecution of Manafort is one cog in a big wheel seeking to nullify the 2016 election.
The case against Manafort was resurrected by Special Counsel Robert Muller and his team to put pressure on Manafort, in the words of presiding Judge Ellis earlier in the case, to sing or to compose against Trump.
Manafort hasn’t sung. Maybe he doesn’t have anything to sing about when it comes to Trump. Or maybe he figures he’ll be pardoned.
I hope he walks. I hope he walks and then dances on the courthouse steps.
And if, as is likely, he gets convicted of something, I hope Trump pardons him.
The prosecution of Manafort is everything that is wrong with the Mueller investigation and team. They found a man, and then they set out to find the crime, in order to get to another man they found and as to whom they are seeking a crime.
That’s not how it’s supposed to happen in a civil society.
The jury has the power to stop this abuse. And so does Donald Trump.
Posted by William A. Jacobson Thursday, August 16, 2018 at 9:00pm
https://legalinsurrection.com/2018/...-of-who-he-knows-i-hope-he-walks/#more-257669
The jury has the power to stop this abuse. And so does Donald Trump
The jury ended its first day of deliberations in the prosecution of Paul Manafort in the Eastern District of Virginia. When this trial is over, Manafort faces a second trial on other charges in federal court in D.C.
The jury asked the judge for help understanding “reasonable doubt.” As is usual in these situations, the judge didn’t give much help, explaining that reasonable doubt was “doubt based on reason” but did not require “guilt beyond all possible doubt.”
That the jury would ask such a question probably heartened Manafort’s team, but I wouldn’t read too much into it.
Paul Manafort is a shady character. He may even be a criminal character.
But he undoubtedly is someone who is being prosecuted because of who he knew. That would be one Donald Trump.
Had Manafort not made the decision to join the Trump campaign, tasked with managing the delegate floor fight at the Republican National Convention, Manafort would be leading his prior life of flim flam and influence peddling.
Had Manafort not been associated with the Trump campaign, he would not have been prosecuted. The feds had looked him over and then looked away years earlier.
Manafort’s team made that argument in closing argument coming close to if not exceeding the judge’s prior order barring a defense of selective prosecution:
As a legal defense, selective prosecution may not hold much water. But in reality, this case is all about selective prosecution, and then some.
The prosecution of Manafort is one cog in a big wheel seeking to nullify the 2016 election.
The case against Manafort was resurrected by Special Counsel Robert Muller and his team to put pressure on Manafort, in the words of presiding Judge Ellis earlier in the case, to sing or to compose against Trump.
Manafort hasn’t sung. Maybe he doesn’t have anything to sing about when it comes to Trump. Or maybe he figures he’ll be pardoned.
I hope he walks. I hope he walks and then dances on the courthouse steps.
And if, as is likely, he gets convicted of something, I hope Trump pardons him.
The prosecution of Manafort is everything that is wrong with the Mueller investigation and team. They found a man, and then they set out to find the crime, in order to get to another man they found and as to whom they are seeking a crime.
That’s not how it’s supposed to happen in a civil society.
The jury has the power to stop this abuse. And so does Donald Trump.
