Trump's Card

[San Bernardhinault]

That is special. Particularly Liz Warren looking like she's crocheting an EU flag.

[ursus arctos]

Also my personal favourite

[WOM]

Paul Manafort's big day. Sentencing at 3:30. No idea what must be going through his head re: pardons...when pardons will happen...if pardons will happen...or if Trump will fuck him like he fucks everyone else.

[WOM]

47 months. C*nt.

[The-Reverend]

That seems rather low, anything murky in it at all? Can the prosecution appeal an unduly lenient sentence?

[Lang Spoon]

Doesn't seem much, don't bode well for whatever Cohen/Stone/Jared might face.

[WOM]

Just when you think they might make an example of someone.

[Lang Spoon]

Wonder how Deep State Louise Mensch is spinning this. Not gonna look obvs.

[San Bernardhinault]

You do have to wonder about the judge.

Before giving his sentence, Ellis noted Manafort "lived an otherwise blameless life," and was a good friend and generous person to others.

He has a really fucking weird understanding of "blameless" when Manafort's entire raison d'etre was keeping dictators in office. And why being a good friend was relevant at all, I can't fathom. It definitely feels a little fishy.

[Nefertiti2]

[URL]https://twitter.com/thelauracoates/status/1103811277942591488?s=21[/URL]

[ursus arctos]

Ellis was always favourably disposed towards Manafort, who is his kind of people (rich and white). It was widely expected that the sentence would be below the lower edge of the guidelines recommendation, but this is even lower than that. The prosecution cannot appeal.

Judge Berman Jackson sentences him in the other case on Wednesday. She has consistently had less time for his bullshit, and I would expect her to give him a longer sentence and perhaps refuse the option of havin them run concurrently.

[Snake Plissken]

Your honour, so many people commit crimes, yet the FBI choose to persistently hound my client for his. Why is that? Is that fair? To ruin a man who has otherwise led a blameless life, a life of simple charity not wanton greed, and who may I remind the court, is suffering from chronic gout. Yes the guidelines state my client should be incarcerated for 24 years, and yes he is guilty of not one major financial fraud, but eight, but your honour, my client is white. And not just white, he is rich. Our country was built on rich white men committing multiple financial frauds. Financial fraud is the bedrock of the infinite money tree we all know as capitalism. Sir, you put my client in jail for 24 years and it is not just his life that is over. It is the American dream. Will you excuse me a moment your honour, I need to hug my flag...

(Not mine.)

[Satchmo Distel]

It's timely for me because I am teaching race and justice next week and was looking for recent examples. You can't get more clear cut than 40 years for the black meth dealer but 48 months for the white guy committing multiple frauds and repeatedly lying to prosecutors.

[ursus arctos]

Or, should you want a "white collar" example

[URL]https://twitter.com/ashtonpittman/status/1103859086976786432?s=21[/URL]

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/MiamiHerald/status/1104000906801094656

[San Bernardhinault]

That's gold dust, that is.

[WOM]

Legal Question: if Manafort gets a pardon, does it affect the cash restitution in any way?

[ursus arctos]

Very good question.

I'm afraid that there is DOJ guidance that it wipes out restitution ordered in the criminal case.

That doesn't mean that restitution ordered in a civil case would be affected, nor does it have any impact whatsoever on state proceedings.

[WOM]

Oh, that is utterly maddening. There must be judges going out of their minds reading / talking / thinking about this today all over the US.

[ursus arctos]

It makes a good deal of sense from a legal perspective

[WOM]

I suppose. It's tough not to look at through an entirely different lens when it's Trump/Manafort. You know exactly what happened and exactly what's gonna happen...and ain't none of it to do with 'legal'.

[ursus arctos]

Well yes, but an underlying premise of the pardon power is that it isn't to be used for a corrupt purpose.

[Ginger Yellow]

Shine is out, already. Apparently to work on the re-election campaign

[WOM]

Well yes, but an underlying premise of the pardon power is that it isn't to be used for a corrupt purpose.

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. If ever a fix was in, it's this one.

Would Ford pardoning Nixon be considered corrupt? Sort of seems like it, but I don't know enough.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. If ever a fix was in, it's this one.

Would Ford pardoning Nixon be considered corrupt? Sort of seems like it, but I don't know enough.

How could it ever be proved? Assuming there's nothing in writing or overheard. It's like a Freemason's handshake, unsaid but understood. Part of an unstated code.