Trump's lawyers tell an appeals court that federal prosecutors are trying to rush his election case

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for Donald Trump told a federal appeals court on Wednesday that it should not speed up its consideration of whether the former president is immune from prosecution, accusing federal prosecutors of trying to rush his 2020 election subversion case through before next year’s presidential election.

“The prosecution has one goal in this case: To unlawfully attempt to try, convict, and sentence President Trump before an election in which he is likely to defeat President Biden,” defense lawyers wrote Wednesday. “This represents a blatant attempt to interfere with the 2024 presidential election and to disenfranchise the tens of millions of voters who support President Trump’s candidacy.”

The issue is of paramount significance to both sides given the potential for a protracted appeal to delay a trial beyond its currently scheduled start date of March 4. Trump faces charges he plotted to overturn the 2020 election after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, and he has denied doing anything wrong......

“Aside from the prosecution’s unlawful partisan motives, there is no compelling reason that date must be maintained, especially at the expense of President Trump and the public’s overriding interest in ensuring these matters of extraordinary constitutional significance are decided appropriately, with full and thoughtful consideration to all relevant authorities and arguments,” they wrote.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-january-6-appeal-20726ba42ac87cd2f3a3ffc6a2145490

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Link to tweet

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. This is one of the dumbest legal arguments that I have seen

Link to tweet

[Sal_NV]

2. Where the hell does he find these lawyers?

From the back of a Cracker Jacks box?

[dchill]

15. They're not quite that high quality.

[EarthFirst]

18. Strip malls...

[sakabatou]

24. Wish.com, maybe

[Novara]

3. It's called "sticking to the schedule," you fucking morons

We have a right to know if a candidate is guilty of crimes against the country before we go to the polls, so yeah, they're trying to get it done before the election so that we're informed.

That isn't rushing, idiots. It's called trying to stick to the schedule.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. Here is a link to the filing

This filing basically wants the trial to be put off indefinitely
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24217206-121323president-trumps-opposition-to-motion-for-expedited-appellate-review?responsive=1&title=1

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Kind of conflicts with TFG wanting SCOTUS to immediately

rule on the subject in his Jean Carroll case.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143168134

[Bayard]

6. Awww, the Cartoon Defense

As if they weren't already a bunch of clowns.

[republianmushroom]

7. trumps lawyers want to delay, delay and delay. The trump play book.

34 months and counting

[iluvtennis]

8. DU leag eagles: Can this be considered a frivilous reply? tfg's leaga team should be made to pay all

of the costs associated with frivolous motions/replies.

[Harker]

9. We have a right to a speedy trial. n/t

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. Donald Trump Says He Can Only Work Over Christmas If He's Planning a Coup

Link to tweet

https://www.emptywheel.net/2023/12/13/donald-trump-says-he-can-only-work-over-christmas-if-hes-planning-a-coup/

There’s a passage of Trump’s opposition to fast-tracking the DC Circuit review of Judge Tanya Chutkan’s opinion holding he is not immune from criminal prosecution that has gotten a lot of attention: Where he accuses Jack Smith of being a mean old Grinch.

Even if the Court grants expedited consideration—which it should not do—it should not adopt the prosecution’s proposed schedule, which is facially unreasonable. The prosecution “requests that the Court require the defendant’s opening brief be due no later than ten days from the entry of a briefing order,” Mot. 5-6—which, assuming the Court rules promptly on the motion to expedite after the close of briefing, would make President Trump’s opening brief due the day after Christmas. This proposed schedule would require attorneys and support staff to work round-the-clock through the holidays, inevitably disrupting family and travel plans. It is as if the Special Counsel “growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming, ‘I must find some way to keep Christmas from coming. … But how?’” DR. SEUSS, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (Random House 1957).

Trump shouldn’t have to reschedule his holidays to make his argument that he is above the law, he says.

The argument is obnoxious on its face. All the more so because Trump has been known to work over Christmas.

Indeed, Donald Trump worked his ass off — as did many of his closest aides and his lawyers — over Christmas 2020.

On December 18, Trump had the famous meeting to discuss seizing the voting machines. On December 19, he tweeted out the “Will be wild” announcement, kicking off efforts around the country to travel to DC for the rally. On December 21, he had a planning call with members of the Freedom Caucus. On December 22, Trump approved an ad buy to pressure governors. On December 22, Trump met with Scott Perry and Jeffrey Clark. On December 22, Mark Meadows attempted to enter the counting area in Cobb County, GA. On December 22, Trump gave a speech in which he defamed Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. On December 23, Trump called Georgia investigator Frances Watson and suggested that he she showed him winning by hundreds of thousands, “you’ll be praised.” On December 23, Trump accused Georgian election officials of being “Terrible people.” On December 23, Trump had an Oval Office meeting with Doug Mastriano and other Pennsylvania State Senators. On December 23, John Eastman fine-tuned his scheme to have Vice President Pence pick and choose which votes to count. On December 23, Trump tweeted out about Operation PENCE Card. On Christmas Day, Trump called Rusty Bowers and asked him to support the fake elector scheme. Also on Christmas, Trump tried to persuade Pence to reject Biden votes. On December 26 and 27, Scott Perry developed his plan to have Jeffrey Clark intefere at DOJ. On December 27, Trump harangued Jeffrey Rosen and Richard Donoghue for two hours in an attempt to get them to support his false claims of fraud, before he suggested he might install Clark. On December 27, he spoke with Roger Stone about plans for January 6, including his own plan to speak. On December 27, Trump started getting more involved in planning the event, beginning to discuss a march to the Capitol. On December 27, Trump boosted January 6 again. On December 28, Rudy’s team finalized their Strategic Communications Plan they’d been working on for weeks.

This is a non-exclusive list. Trump worked his ass off over the Christmas holiday in 2020.

So it’s not that Trump (or his lawyers) are averse to working through the holidays.

They’re only willing to do so, though, when planning a coup.

[Owens]

11. But I thought he was "innocent"

Wouldn't it be better if he proved he was innocent before the election?🤔

[ificandream]

12. While he tries to delay, delay, delay, delay ...

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. Trump: Wahhhh. Don't make me turn in homework on Boxing Day.

Link to tweet

[sakabatou]

14. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you wanted a speedy trial."

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

16. Other criminals and attorneys

Have to comply with courts over the holidays, and traitor thugs are the last people who deserve to be the exception to that.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

17. Also

Maybe if you idiots hadn't resorted to the usual spoiled brat delay tactics, you wouldn't be dealing with the courts over the holidays, nitwit.

I have a very strong feeling that the courts will make the following ruling, only in legalese:

Sit down.

Shut up.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

19. The DC Circuit was not impressed by TFG's citation of the Grinch Stole Christmas

The DC Circuit ignored TFG's brief of the Grinch stealing Christmas and set a very aggressive time table for briefing

Link to tweet

[pfitz59]

20. good

hold his feet to the fire

[EndlessWire]

21. Trump's trial tactic of delay

just isn't working for him this time. Who would have thought that Jack would jump to the Supremes in an effort to resolve this issue of whether Trump gets to crime as President? It's an absurd notion that should be resolved quickly before the trial starts. Anyone can see that.

Well, I guess when you have no defense--when all your buds are flipping on you and you haven't a ghost of a chance to beat the rap--all you can do is waste everyone's time with inflammatory whining and preposterous claims of kingship.

Anyone--even the most rotgut-soaked Supreme Court Justice--can see how asinine it is to make this argument. Trump thinks they are going to absolve him of the responsibility he bears for inciting insurrection and getting people killed. His attempts to stop the legal transfer of power, for the first time in our history, do not come under any assumption that his duty as President permitted him to encourage rioters to erect gallows and hunt for Mike Pence.

Further, while our laws will allow this bastard to run for office while he is behind bars, there is nothing that says we must stand aside while he attempts to rig up a hypertechnical defense of immunity, as if he were some kind of king. It's not our fault that this scum is under 91 indictments while he fails to hire the legions of lawyers it will take to meet his deadlines. Who gives a rat's ass.

And his actual argument is perilously close to being frivolous. Who cites Dr. Seuss to the DCAC when attempting to beg for the Christmas holidays off? My word, how immature.

He wants an extra 14 days followed by three more weeks. For what? For the Grinch argument? Even Trump's lawyers can't refrain from calling Jack names.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

22. TFG's attorneys will be very busy over the holidays

TFG's brief opposing SCOTUS's direct review on the immunity issues is due 12/20 by 4 p.m.;
TFG's brief to the D.C. Circuit on the immunity issue is due 12/23
Jack Smith's response brief to DC Circuit on immunity issue is due on 12/29
TFG's reply brief on DC immunity issue is due on 1/2.
Oral arguments on the DC Immunity issue are on 1/9

Link to tweet

[republianmushroom]

23. 34 months and counting

Can't be soon enough.

[ificandream]

25. So it's better to delay, delay, delay Dumb Donald?

[Squaredeal]

26. More blah, blah , blah from Trump.

Using his usual rule book of delay, delay, delay to avoid the inevitable as long as he can and, perhaps, get elected again so it would all go away.

[Blue Owl]

27. Oh, so NOW the fat fuck doesn't want to push his way to the front of the line

[PJMcK]

28. Well,...

… if the prosecutors and the courts are willing to work over the holidays, Trump and his lawyers can get their asses in gear.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

29. The appellate courts speed things up, signaling an end to Trump's dirty game of delay, delay, delay

The courts are tired of TFG's strategy of delay

Link to tweet