Trump will plead the 5th.

[gab13by13]

Letitia James has the goods on Trump, she doesn't need him to testify. What will Trump do? He will plead the 5th like a criminal, then he doesn't have to show up for the deposition. Pleading the 5th can be used against him in James civil trial but not in Vance's criminal trial.

I am sure that in the civil trial that Trump will try to blame his accountant or someone else, but he signed off on documents that James has. The civil trial is going to cost trump a boat load of money and not just for taxes, he also defrauded investors.

Trump is caught between a rock and a hard place.

Hopefully, Vance's criminal trial to follow.

Just my opinion. I know it will be hard for Trump to plead the 5th but he will blame his lawyers for that also.

Anyone else? We will know shortly.

[Hoyt]

1. I suspect he will just say he was too busy to handle tax filings, etc., and

hired people to handle that.

Of course, they can still fine the organization and charge his CFO, etc. State will try to get them to flip, but it’s going to take some written or recorded evidence of trump telling them to cheat.

[gab13by13]

7. Experts I listened to are saying that

James wouldn't have requested Trump to do a deposition if she didn't already have the goods on him. They are surmising she has signed documents, signed by whom I don't know. James is looking at 3 Trump properties is their opinion. David K. Johnston believes it involves a lot of money.

[Hoyt]

9. Maybe, certainly possible and hope so. But if she has goods, why delay charges?

[brooklynite]

2. "then he doesn't have to show up for the deposition"

Not true. He has the right to plead the fifth, but he can't do it in advance, since he doesn't know what specific questions will be asked.

[gab13by13]

5. A former prosecutor on Lawrence O'Donnell

said that if Trump lawyers respond to James that Trump will plead the 5th then James will not make him show up for the meeting. It would be another story for the trial.

[hlthe2b]

20. They are only speculating. That is not typical but James has every legal right to require him to

show up to plead the fifth.

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. Ms. James must know stuff we don't.

And the fact that she's staying and running for another terms seems to be a signal that her future will be way more enhanced by making the case against DJT then running for another elective office, today.

[RockRaven]

4. There is no blanket pleading the fifth which allows not showing up...

Question by question is how it goes.

[gab13by13]

6. You are talking about a trial,

James is not subpoenaing Trump to a trial.

[RockRaven]

15. I'm not talking about a trial, I'm talking about what the limits are. One of your own replies notes

that if his lawyers say he's gonna invoke the fifth then James will not make him show up. Note the emphasis added. Make him. If there's even a question of "will she or won't she?" then baked into that convo is the premise that it is possible. If it were not possible, the phrasing would be "she can't" instead of "she won't."

Imagine the extreme case: is it theoretically possible to construct any scenario where a witness has absolutely no exposure to self-incrimination of any kind while still having any relevant knowledge/evidence? Yes, like almost everything in law there are conceivable theoretical cases.

He can be compelled to show up. It's a waste of everyone's time, so it isn't done. It would seem unprofessional, or like a stunt. But it is possible. Don't conflate what is done with what can be done.

Because it is TFG, though, I say turnabout is fair play when it comes to political stunts intended to tweak people's noses. Make him repeat that same line a couple hundred times while the questioner pokes at him with all of the crimes and bullshittery and embarrassing crap they know about. Make him stew, make him sweat, make him lose his shit.

[Captain Zero]

22. MAKE HIM LOSE HIS SHIT. YES.

works for me.

[hlthe2b]

19. RockRaven is correct. Unless James-- for reasons unclear-- lets him out of showing up, he HAS TO.

in order to plead the fifth. That's not how these things work. Depositions in civil cases STILL require compliance--even if one chooses to plead the fifth.

[hlthe2b]

21. No. He is speaking to a legally-enforced deposition session. He must appear unless James

decides for reasons of her own not to enforce it.

[Kablooie]

8. Is there a recording of him saying that only criminals plead the fifth?

If so it needs to be played loudly whenever he enters or leaves a courthouse.

[Sogo]

12. This.

[UTUSN]

10. He can't keep his trap shut!

[gab13by13]

13. That's exactly why he won't show up for the deposition.

He will plead the 5th.

[UTUSN]

14. He has to show up in order to plead, don't he?

And the way his mouth and brain work, he might plead and then proceed to blab away - not to questions!1

[hlthe2b]

18. Not true. He must appear to plead the fifth.

Unless James, for reasons of her own elects to allow him not to show up after his lawyer attests. But this would be unusual. Depositions, just like trials REQUIRE the individual to show up to be asked each question to which they can then "plead the fifth."

[gab13by13]

11. In James' civil trial she doesn't have to prove intent.

The civil trial will be about documents, not a complicated set of issues. The Trump Organization could be out hundreds of millions of dollars.

Vance's criminal case is a horse of a different color. This is where Trump will blame his accountant or his maid or whoever. The criminal trial must prove criminal intent, a much higher bar.

[Ohio Joe]

16. "If you're innocent why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?"

Makes him look weak and stupid... I like it

[hlthe2b]

17. Pleading the FIfth does not allow him NOT to show up for the deposition. Quite the contrary.

These are court-ordered depositions and just like trial subpoenas, he must appear. Unless James (for reasons of her own and in an extraordinary decision) allows him not to appear, he must do so to answer EACH question asked by "pleading the fifth."

If she allowed otherwise, this would be very unusual. This is not how it typically works--at all.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

23. Can't wait for this criminal POS tRump to be frog marched to the penitentiary.

Ribbit, ribbit... 🐸

[blueinredohio]

24. Trump couldn't plead the fifth.

He can't keep his mouth shut.

[librechik]

25. Trump says only gangsters plead the fifth. I expect him to spill his guts

rather than admit he's a gangster. But then his guts will all be blatant admission of crimes. Which he can explain. At length. And expect sympathetic acceptance--loyalty even-- to his guts. No doubt his lawyers are trying to talk him out of his popelike infallibility right now.

Malicious narcissists are fairly predictable. They believe all their own lies.