Trump Pleaded the 5th for 6 Straight Hours.

[gab13by13]

Donald Trump pleaded the 5th Amendment for 6 straight hours. In a civil trial that can be used against him.

Let's take this forward. So a trial happens down the road and a prosecutor shows a video of Trump being asked if he inflated his assets when applying for a loan, and Trump answers, 5th Amendment. They play a video of Trump being asked if he deflated his assets when paying taxes, and Trump answers, 5th Amendment. The prosecutor is allowed to tell the jury that Trump could not answer those 2 questions truthfully because it would incriminate him otherwise he would have answered the questions.

[Pas-de-Calais]

1. Doesn't work in civil cases

If tfg had descent lawyers, they’d have stopped him from yapping. Maybe

Read the NY AD could turn the civil into a criminal easily

[gab13by13]

4. Prosecutors can't use taking the 5th against Trump in a criminal trial,

Alvin Bragg put the kabosh to a criminal trial.

Trump made the choice to keep quiet, not incriminate himself which could lead to a criminal trial. He chose to keep quiet and lose money over going to jail.

[grumpyduck]

2. And I'll bet the AG's team knew exactly what they were doing.

I can picture someone backstage keeping score and grinning away.

[Novara]

3. I read this is EXACTLY what Letitia James was hoping for

New York state is NOT one of those states where judges caution juries not to draw inferences when someone pleads the fifth; quite the opposite. Jurors are routinely told they can draw inference of guilt from someone pleading the fifth.

He's fucking toast. I absolutely love it that he played right into the hands of a strong, smart black woman, and now she's got him right where she wants him.

[SWBTATTReg]

7. I loved it too. We got some pretty smart cookies who obviously know what they are doing.

tRUMP is to the point that he's shot his mouth off too many times, is too cocky, and he doesn't listen to his attorneys' advice. I predict that this will all come back to bite him. I heard that he's looking for some competent attorneys, he's obviously burned all of his bridges to any seriously competent attorneys, who would represent him, after all, some of his prior attorneys refused to continue w/ him, being that he can't stop lying, even to his own attorneys.

[tblue37]

21. And he stiffs them.

[tblue37]

22. And he stiffs them.

[SWBTATTReg]

29. Yes, and I heard that very same comment last night on one of the talk shows. They mentioned that

some attorneys might take the case pro bono (no charge) just for the notoriety and such, no fee, although as difficult as tRUMP is to deal w/, I would think that alone, would be enough to turn me off.

[bdamomma]

5. for someone

who spits at the Constitution they are quick to plead the fifth. What total BS, and he is still asking for money from his sycophants.


What POS he is.

[paleotn]

6. The evidence is already there....

The financial evidence plus other testimony proves the case. Prosecution knew what he'd do and it's irrelevant. Pretty soon, Trump Corp. will be irrelevant.

[gab13by13]

14. You are spot on because this is a civil case,

Letitia James does not have to prove intent, she has the evidence, the documents.

[unblock]

8. My understanding is that ny allows such inferences only in civil cases.

Frankly the fifth amendment is nearly useless if such inferences are allowed in criminal cases.

[gab13by13]

10. This is a civil case,

and the bar is much lower in a civil case. Letitia James does not have to prove intent on Trump's part, she only needs the documents, the evidence.

[unblock]

19. Right, but others in this thread are taking about criminal cases.

[ornotna]

9. Four hours per CNN n/t

[gab13by13]

11. I don't watch CNN, it is right wing propaganda.

The former president was seen arriving at the attorney general's office in New York City around 9 a.m. local time and left about six hours later. This per ABC news, which I don't watch either.

[ornotna]

12. Ok

[ornotna]

23. Anderson Cooper just interviewed Neil Heslin

Very moving and emotional.




Hardly right wing propaganda.

[gab13by13]

24. Just my opinion,

I feel the same way about MSNBC except for Nicolle Chris and Rachel.

CNN and MSNBC are all talking about "the raid" and not about the crime. They both talk about the 2024 election and if Trump is running and if Joe will drop out.

Domestic oligarchs own and manage cable news and they control the narrative.

I have used this example dozens of times;

Fox News says that Obama beats his wife.
CNN says it needs more information.
MSNBC says no he doesn't.

All 3 networks are talking about the same narrative which is what the right wants.

I guarantee you that if Trump were a Democratic president he would be indicted by now, because all of the MSM would be demanding it.

[EnergizedLib]

13. He has the best words

And apparently, there are no better words than Fifth Amendment. I know he has a limited vocabulary, but did it get even smaller than before?

[gab13by13]

15. Someone was joking that he did answer one question,

What is your name? Then someone said he actually lied about that once before.

[EnergizedLib]

16. Really?

Did he use the name John Miller, by any chance?

[Bev54]

17. I read that there was a long lunch break and several shorter breaks

(no doubt to change his diapers) and that at the beginning he read a statement into the record about this being a witch hunt yadayada yada.

[lpbk2713]

20. Like Ted Bundy and Charlie Manson.

I'm sure they whined about being victims of witch hunts.

[TlalocW]

18. So obviously he had to know what pleading the 5th meant

Even with the bottom-of-the-barrel lawyers he scraped up, they explained it to him. Are things so bad that he actually listened to them instead of insisting on showing he's smarter than everyone in the room by answering, knowing he would likely commit perjury, etc?

[gab13by13]

26. He was backed into a corner,

if he testified he certainly would have committed perjury. If he testified he could have incriminated himself in a possible criminal case. Even though Alvin Bragg backed off the criminal case, it is still a possibility.

Trump chose to plead the 5th because doing so can't be used in a possible criminal case. Trump chose losing money over going to jail.

Trump is scared shitless he may end up in jail. Plus he wants to drag this civil trial out for a couple of years.

[Jarqui]

25. In short, Trump pleading the fifth allows AG James to get a step closer to

shutting down Trump's company, recovering taxes, paying fines, etc.
The statute of limitations may have passed on the crimes ...

[gab13by13]

27. She may indict him,

but a trial will never happen for quite some time.

I believe the IRS is also interested in this case.

[Jarqui]

28. Most NY crimes have a five year statute of limitations.

There might be some tolling doctrines that could extend that - like him being President.

Tax evasion criminal statute of limitations in NY is between 3 and 6 years.

Federal civil tax evasion has a much longer timeline (close to unlimited) and lower bar to establish. Criminal seems to be between 3-6 years.

I think RICO has a 4-5 year statute of limitations.

Trump pleading the fifth is likely to cost him a lot of money. I'm doubtful he'll do time but I'm not a lawyer or in law enforcement.