this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2025
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[–] Blue_Morpho 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You really think Trump followers voted for Trump when he was found guilty of fraud only because it wasn't a criminal case?

Using your excuse, New York v. Trump should not have happened because there was a chance Trump would have been found innocent and that would have given the election to Trump.

Really?

[–] spongebue 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Different cases, different things to prove, different evidence available to prove it. New York v Trump had plenty of evidence, including a paper trail and tons of witnesses. It still took a ton of time to compile it together so that the case would actually end with the guilty verdict, but he WAS convicted of 34 felonies by the end of the process because the prosecution in that case felt they had enough to bring it to trial. Just like any other criminal case that gets prosecuted.

You were saying that Trump should have been arrested on January 7. Then what? A case so poorly put together that he gets acquitted? A conviction that gets overturned on appeal because the defense didn't have adequate preparation? Just as Trump should be accountable like anyone else (to be clear, he's a piece of shit and I'm pissed Aileen Cannon and SCOTUS have done him so many favors to put us in this position) he should have the same legal protections as any other defendant. That includes a speedy trial on arrest as the constitution says. I understand you know people who were screwed by the system. That shouldn't happen to anyone, and definitely shouldn't be used as a justification to have it happen to more people.

[–] Blue_Morpho 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

A case so poorly put together that he gets acquitted? A conviction that gets overturned on appeal because the defense didn't have adequate preparation?

Arrests are made, then the case is put together. That's the way it works.

They didn't wait 4 years for Luigi. We had video of Trump telling the crowd to attack.

[–] spongebue 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

There's a threshold to be met. When you kill someone not in self-defense, your intent isn't as relevant (maybe there will be a different degree of murder/manslaughter considered, but it's pretty obvious that there's something to arrest you for)

Trump had enough left out in his speech ("go to the Capitol building and protest peacefully", could mean "do the same thing you're doing here but outside the Capitol building") to give some plausible deniability on its own. In the months/years to follow, we learned important details like that he knew the crowd was armed (and said to remove the metal detectors). That he knew he lost and didn't believe the bullshit conspiracies he was spreading (and was advised as much). Things that are very much needed in a criminal trial to reach that proof beyond a reasonable doubt, especially with that intent part of things that's very hard to prove in cases like this.

[–] Blue_Morpho 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What specifically was added to Jack Smith's report after November which would have ensured a conviction?

Everything from the metal detectors, witnesses, and confessions were all known 4 years ago. Arrests started for everyone but Trump in 2021.

Republicans immediately impeached him on the overwhelming evidence. They literally said the next step was the courts: which never happened.

[–] spongebue 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm going to take "4 years ago" to mean January 7, because that's when you said he should have been arrested.

Metal detectors and stuff came out from the 1/6 committee. That was learned from interviews with witnesses (remember, a witness is someone testifying on their knowledge, not necessarily an eyewitness). That took time to compile who knew what, who is reliable, whose testimony may conflict with someone else's, who may know more about what someone said, etc.

Some Republicans joined Democrats in the House in the vote to impeach, and some Senators did the same in giving a guilty verdict. The latter was not the 2/3 needed to convict (in the impeachment proceedings, not criminal of course).

The problem is that in the impeachment proceedings, people were saying it's a problem for the courts. In the courts, they said there's nothing that could be done if the president wasn't impeached. That's some bullshit circular logic, but the real bullshit is that it worked.

[–] Blue_Morpho 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Some Republicans joined Democrats in the House in the vote to impeach

Impeach was House. Convict was Senate. Courts did not say nothing could be done without impeachment because there was no court case.

So again, what was in the report that was discovered after the Nov 5th 2024 that would have forced Trump's conviction?

[–] spongebue 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Impeach was House. Convict was Senate.

Understood, and I don't think I said anything to dispute that.

Courts did not say nothing could be done without impeachment because there was no court case.

Incorrect once again! There were 2 cases brought on by Jack Smith. Neither went to trial. Aileen Cannon dismissed one case (Mar a Lago documents, which should have been pretty straightforward if it had a competent judge running things) saying that Jack Smith wasn't properly appointed (which would be a godsend for the many people who have been convicted under a special prosecutor if that logic actually holds for once).

The other (January 6 and related stuff) had a competent judge who was actually very tough on the J6 rioters previously, but that case got appealed up to SCOTUS which had that horrible "official acts" ruling.

So again, what was in the report that was discovered after the Nov 5th 2024 that would have forced Trump's conviction?

That was kind of my point on my very first post on this thread. There were things in progress, things that would not have been done if Smith didn't think he had a good chance at meeting that high burden of proof. There was enough before that report was released, after a ton of work was put into it, but the judicial system did in fact fail here. Not because Trump wasn't arrested on 1/7/2021, which would have been a short and certain path to nothing (and because of double jeopardy laws, could have lead to a permanent actual exoneration) but because they allowed every avenue to delay, made a few ridiculous rulings, and ultimately Trump somehow got reelected to stop the few moves Smith had left (for example, appealing the docs case dismissal or showing that his January 6 actions weren't official acts as president)

[–] Blue_Morpho 1 points 1 day ago

There is nothing in the case that was new. Therefore Trump could have been in jail while the case was being built.

Do you actually believe that Trump will be arrested in 4 years? Because if not, then the entire idea that he would be exonerated is irrelevant.

You said he shouldn't have been jailed because without an airtight case, he could have been released. Then what's the worst that could have happen had he been found not guilty two years ago? He could get reelected? Well look what happened.