Replies to post #514048 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[hap0206]

and there it is in black & white

myth: Justice Juan Merchan violated Trump’s rights to defend himself by refusing to permit him to call an expert witness.

Response: In Trump’s defense, he wanted to call Brad Smith, a former member of the Federal Election Commission, as an expert witness on federal election law. Expert witnesses are permitted to testify in trials to assist the jury in understanding facts about matters beyond ordinary understanding. Matters of law, in contrast, are for the judge to provide.

Justice Merchan did not prohibit Smith from testifying, but when he ruled that he could testify only about facts, and not law,

yet the convictions were made felonies because he violated election laws -- which the feds had decided were not worthy of prosecution -- plus the payments were made in 2017

what a kangaroo conviction