Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Courts

Trump as New York jury deliberates: ‘Mother Teresa could not beat these charges’
Approved, National, THE HILL

Trump as New York jury deliberates: ‘Mother Teresa could not beat these charges’

By BRETT SAMUELS | The Hill Former President Trump fumed Wednesday just after his New York City criminal case was turned over to the jury for deliberations, blasting the judge in the case and bemoaning that “Mother Teresa could not beat these charges.” Trump spoke to reporters gathered outside the courtroom moments after a jury of 12 New Yorkers began deliberating in the former president’s hush money criminal case. “Mother Teresa could not beat these charges. These charges are rigged. The whole country’s a mess, between the borders and fake elections, and you have a trial like this where the judge is so conflicted he can’t breathe,” Trump said. “It’s a disgrace. And I mean that. Mother Teresa could not beat those charges. But we’ll see. We’ll see how we do,” he added. READ T...
Trump trial: Defense slams Cohen as ‘greatest liar of all time’ in closing arguments, protesters scuffle outside
Approved, National, New York Post

Trump trial: Defense slams Cohen as ‘greatest liar of all time’ in closing arguments, protesters scuffle outside

By Ben Kochman , Kyle Schnitzer , Max Rivera and Kaydi Pelletier | New York Post Closing arguments are underway in Donald Trump’s criminal trial over his alleged “hush-money” payments to Stormy Daniels. Meanwhile, outside the courthouse actor Robert De Niro and retired Capitol police officers slammed Trump during a Biden campaign presser. Trump’s team took the mic with a rebuttal at the same spot right after. Presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment that his former “fixer” lawyer, Michael Cohen, made to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election. FOLLOW UPDATES AT THE NEW YORK POST
Trump declines to testify as defense rests, jurors dismissed until after Memorial Day
Approved, National, The Washington Times

Trump declines to testify as defense rests, jurors dismissed until after Memorial Day

By Tom Howell Jr.  | The Washington Times Former President Donald Trump declined to testify Tuesday as the defense rested in his hush money trial, setting the table for closing arguments and deliberations after Memorial Day. Mr. Trump wasn’t expected to take the stand, but hadn’t ruled it out publicly. The former president is known for keeping people in suspense. State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan said closing arguments would take “at least a day” and jury instructions would take at least an hour. He told jurors that he didn’t want to break up the process, so he dismissed the jury until after the holiday weekend. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Sen. Menendez’s cluttered home loaded with $150K in gold bars, $480K in cash — some stashed in a boot
Approved, National, New York Post

Sen. Menendez’s cluttered home loaded with $150K in gold bars, $480K in cash — some stashed in a boot

By Priscilla DeGregory and Ben Kochman | The New York Post It’s a “boot-load” of cash. New photos shown at Sen. Bob Menendez’s federal bribery trial reveal over $600,000 in cash and gold bars stashed around his cluttered New Jersey home — including a stack of bills stuffed inside a Timberland boot. Jurors at the Menendez trial, which began last week in Manhattan federal court, were shown dozens of photos taken inside the Garden State Democrat’s Englewood Cliffs house during a June 2022 raid by the FBI. The pictures, presented in court Thursday, show gold bars small and large, some appearing to be older with nicks and scratches on the surface while others are wrapped in clear plastic packaging. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE NEW YORK POST
Federal judge rules against Biden’s expansion of gun background checks
Approved, National, The Washington Times

Federal judge rules against Biden’s expansion of gun background checks

By Stephen Dinan | The Washington Times President Biden‘s attempt to expand the universe of gun sales subject to background checks likely violates federal law, a federal judge ruled Sunday. Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk said Mr. Biden‘s team stretched the definition of those “engaged in the business” of firearms beyond its breaking point in an attempt to force more gun transactions to face the scrutiny of a background check. The judge said two-thirds of gun owners maintain their weapons for self-defense or protection and they could end up being snared by the regulation if they were to trade or sell a weapon. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Monument has spent more than $100,000 in taxpayer funds in ‘political’ legal battle
Approved, KRDO.COM, Local

Monument has spent more than $100,000 in taxpayer funds in ‘political’ legal battle

By Quinn Ritzdorf | KRDO.com A legal battle between the Monument mayor and a private attorney has cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars and it's still not over. More than 17 months after Monument Mayor Mitch LaKind filed a state complaint against private attorney Grant Van Der Jagt, the Colorado Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel said the complaint is still pending. “I think the town needs to know how our money is being spent,” LaKind said. “Being that we have spent over $100,000 in legal fees on top of the $25,000 that was paid via the (legal) engagement, the town people have a right to know what this attorney and his law firm and those that supported his engagement cost.” READ THE FULL STORY AT KRDO.COM
Cole Finegan stepping down as U.S. Attorney for Colorado
Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Cole Finegan stepping down as U.S. Attorney for Colorado

By Daniel Boniface | The Denver Gazette Cole Finegan on Wednesday announced he's stepping down as United States Attorney for the District of Colorado at the end of the month. Finegan, who was appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, took the oath of office on Dec. 1, 2021. His last day on the job will be May 31. During his time as U.S. Attorney, Finegan's office represented the U.S. in criminal and civil court matters in Colorado and the in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
GOP lawmakers’ attendance at Trump trial could be a problem during a key vote today
Approved, National, THE HILL

GOP lawmakers’ attendance at Trump trial could be a problem during a key vote today

By REBECCA BEITSCH AND ZACH SCHONFELD | The Hill At least nine Republican lawmakers traveled to New York to appear in court alongside former President Trump on Thursday, the latest in a string of GOP lawmakers to attend the hush money trial. The move could jeopardize GOP attendance at a key vote later in the day and also comes after the House Oversight and Accountability Committee bumped a scheduled hearing to facilitate their attendance at court. Reps. Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Mike Waltz (Fla.) and Eli Crane (Ariz.) were spotted in the courtroom, while Reps. Andy Ogles (Tenn.) Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.), Ralph Norman (S.C.) and House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (Va.) were also spotted at the Manhattan c...
Paralegal testifies Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s office tampered with evidence
Approved, National, The Federalist

Paralegal testifies Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s office tampered with evidence

By BRIANNA LYMAN | The Federalist Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s paralegal testified on Friday that his office deleted from their evidence three pages of phone records between convicted liar Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels’ lawyer Keith Davidson without notifying former President Donald Trump’s legal team, according to reports. Trump attorney Emil Bove questioned paralegal Jaden Jarmel-Schneider on Friday about three pages of 2018 phone records between Davidson and Cohen that Bragg’s office had deleted, according to CNN. Additional phone records between Daniels manager Gina Rodriguez and then-National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard regarding Daniels’ claim about her alleged affair were also deleted, according to The Epoch Times. The altered call records were submitt...
Trump tells Jersey Shore crowd he’s being forced to endure ‘Biden show trial’
Approved, National, The Washington Post

Trump tells Jersey Shore crowd he’s being forced to endure ‘Biden show trial’

By Steve Peoples and Mike Catalini and Meg Kinnard | The Washington Times Sandwiched between his appearances in court, Donald Trump headed on Saturday to the Jersey Shore, where he repeatedly blamed President Biden for the criminal charges he’s facing as the presumptive nominees prepare to face off in the November election and called his New York hush money case “a Biden show trial.” Blasting the Democratic president “a total moron,” Mr. Trump before a crowd of tens of thousands repeatedly characterized the cases against him as politically motivated and timed to harm his ability to campaign. “He’s a fool. He’s not a smart man,” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Biden. “I talk about him differently now because now the gloves are off.” READ THE FULL STORY IN THE...