Closing Arguments

[H2O Man]

I'm going to throw a few names out, and see if you can identify an individual with connections to each. Let's start with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Add Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagain. How about John Gotti? Any ideas?

Carmine Galante. Tony Salerno. Artistatle Onassis. George Steinbrenner. Several people likely know the answer. But to make it easier, let's add Senator Joseph McCarthy, Roger Stone, and finally, Donald Trump. And yes, the answer is Roy Cohn.

I mention Roy simply to show that a lawyer does not need to be a good person to be capable and effective at defending wealthy criminals. Perhaps Cohn being such a creep is why he was so good at what he did for a living.

During the time before Trump became president, Trump had capable and effective lawyers that helped him to operate in the manner he did. Like him or not, Michael Cohen provided good services that allowed Trump to do bad things. And there were others besides Cohn and Cohen that served Trump in that fashion.

As president, Trump sought to surround himself with those he considered "loyal." This, of course, included his desire for a loyal Attorney General and FBI director. It didn't work out well for Jeff Sessions or James Comey. When he learned that Robert Mueller had been appointed to investigate the connections between the Trump campaign and Russia, Trump infamously asked, "Where's my Roy Cohn?" In stepped Bill Barr.

In Trump's two impeachment trials, capable and effective lawyers were brought in to represent him. While there was zero chance of the Senate convicting him, it was determined that Donald needed quality legal representation. However, because Trump did not think they were crooked enough to be trusted, he did not listen to them in regards to January 6 or his stealing classified documents.

Three more names are important here. Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and John Eastman. Rather that seeking capable and effective lawyers, Trump was looking for both loyalty and crookedness. This did not work out well for him, judging by the number of current legal cases and investigations now confronting him. Indeed, he must wonder when one of those three assclowns will turn on him.

Now, consider his current legal representation. It is known that top legal firms have politely passed on representing him. There is only one with experience at the higher levels. The others are, at very best, in way over their heads. There is no Roy Cohn. Even that turd Bill Barr has turned openly on Trump, though only for the wrong reasons.
who represents you in the closing arguments of your career.

It makes a big difference who gives the closing arguments of your career.

[intrepidity]

1. I believe Roy Cohn is the audience of one that tfg still performs for

His surrogate daddy. Even though he's dead. Yup, I do believe that.

[H2O Man]

2. Right.

I agree. And his father would tell him, "Get Roy!"

[rsdsharp]

3. Roy Cohn was so effective, he got disbarred.

[H2O Man]

4. Indeed, he did.

Proof that even a capable and effective crook can go too far.

[Elessar Zappa]

5. Roy Cohn was a piece of shit.

A lawyer who hated lawyers, a Jewish man who hated Jews, A gay man who hated “fags”. This isn’t my quote, I heard it somewhere, but it’s very true.

[H2O Man]

6. Okay .....

you are able to focus on Cohn's better traits. I do wish that Robert Kennedy had punched him at least once when they came close to having a fight.

He was worse than either of us can fully communicate, though. And that allowed him to be good at being an advocate for other slime like Trump. So it is good that at this point, Trump doesn't have an old-time mob lawyer as the Big Dance gets closer.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. Excellent piece!

I suspect that Traitortrump is fuming and indulging himself in nostalgic, noisy dreams of Cohn.

His team in the Special Master's recent meeting seemed completely unaware of the term of art "need to know" regarding the classified documents. Dearie was speaking in the language of the Intelligence Community and they were thinking a defense lawyer needs to know discovery stuff. Maybe they should go back to parking tickets, before the orange thing ruins their careers completely.

[H2O Man]

8. Thanks!

If my memory serves me correctly, Cohn used to not simply try for delay after delay, but always sought to insert some advantage in that. Never insert a disadvantage, So here they got their delay, by inserting the request for a special master. Then they pushed for Judge Dearie. That has done serious damage to them. And the 11th Circuit added more damage, though it was the DOJ, not Trump, who appealed there.

I am confident that the DOJ prosecutors are operating at a much higher level. That's important for us to keep in mind as this unfolds.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

9. The DoJ lawyers certainly are ...

Motion for partial stay: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763.69.0_2.pdf

Cannon (or Qannon) denied it: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763.89.0_1.pdf

3-judge panel for 11th Circuit spanked the loose Cannon, citing cases the DoJ did:
https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/22418133/trumpdojstaymotca11091622.pdf


The trumpster lawyers deserve this old RWNJ for a judge:
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp2/147/668/2409194/

Before proceeding further, the Court notes that this case involves two extremely likable lawyers, who have together delivered some of the most amateurish pleadings ever to cross the hallowed causeway into Galveston, an effort which leads the Court to surmise but one plausible explanation. Both attorneys have obviously entered into a secret pact complete with hats, handshakes and cryptic words to draft their pleadings entirely in crayon on the back sides of gravy-stained paper place mats, in the hope that the Court would be so charmed by their child-like efforts that their utter dearth of legal authorities in their briefing would go unnoticed. Whatever actually occurred, the Court is now faced with the daunting task of deciphering their submissions. With Big Chief tablet readied, thick black pencil in hand, and a devil-may-care laugh in the face of death, life on the razor's edge sense of exhilaration, the Court begins.

[H2O Man]

10. "Defendant begins the descent into Alice's Wonderland...."

Nice!


I like this part, too:

"Now, alas, the Court must return to grownup land. As vaguely alluded to by the parties, the issue in this case turns upon which lawstate or maritimeapplies to each of Plaintiff's potential claims versus Defendant Phillips."

[Hermit-The-Prog]

11. I'd love to read a ruling treating trump's arguments with the disdain they deserve.

Dearie and the 11th came close.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

12. kick for creatures of the night

[Hekate]

13. Creature of the night appreciates it

[Hermit-The-Prog]

14. I knew I wasn't alone!

The Water Man's work has to be shared. We're seeing those fumbled closing arguments by the trump team playing out.

[Hekate]

15. Amazing stuff to behold

[H2O Man]

16. His legal team

doesn't appear to anticipate the potential consequences of their actions. That is, in my opinion, a huge distinction between a good and bad legal strategy.