Gone with the wind
Donald Trump likely can’t decide these days whether to look left, right, back, or front. Everywhere he turns, his little scheme to overturn the 2020 election is nipping at his rear end. The ones that are most frightening for him are the RICO case in Georgia and the federal election interference case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Yet, his lawyers are concerned that a Colorado judge found him guilty of engaging in an insurrection, even though he will remain on the ballot. I guess they’re concerned about Trump’s reputation, which is a joke. His reputation is already bad, but if you’re going to be part of Trump’s team, you must learn to try to snow people, and you’d better be good at it. Lawyer Scott Gessler obviously is not since Justice Richard Gabriel was able to push back on Gessler’s colorful additions to the definition of “insurrection.” Trump might want to find a smarter lawyer to go up against Fani Willis, as she is going for the proverbial jugular.
The Guardian reported that Georgia prosecutors are already predicting jail sentences will come from that case. In an email from DA Fani Willis, she wrote: “We have a long road ahead. Long after these folks are in jail, we will still be practicing law.” Willis obviously knows a lot of things we don’t know, but could she be hinting at the strength of her evidence? She will not be offering plea deals to Trump, Giuliani, or Meadows, but she is still open to offering them to others. Say what you will about Willis, but she knows how to work a conspiracy case. According to the Guardian, defense lawyers find her “inappropriately aggressive” and “presumptuous.” Perhaps “confident” is a better description of Fani Willis.
Willis has added Pence and Barr to her witness list. Pence has already made his feelings known about Trump. He called what Trump did “un-American,” and said that “the Georgia election was not stolen.” One assumes he will testify to the same, as he did before the January 6 House Select Committee. Barr has also testified before that committee. The room is getting smaller and smaller for Donald Trump. Nevada has decided to prosecute their fake electors, his Wisconsin fake electors have changed their story to rescind their view that Trump won the 2020 election, and Arizona is prosecuting two election officials. The Wisconsin fake electors withdrew their falsified paperwork, and they have been barred to serve as electors in 2024. Trump’s problem is that his trouble is spread across several jurisdictions, and all his attorneys can do is try to stall trials.
Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled against Trump’s claims of immunity, and he has now appealed. His attorneys have asked for a pause on the case that is to begin March 4, claiming: “… [A] stay of all further proceedings is mandatory and automatic.” We’ll see what Judge Chutkan has to say about that and the Court of Appeals for that matter. They are the court that would have to issue such a stay. That case can proceed, except that Trump can’t use his ridiculous defense of immunity.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years