Despite myself, I'm feeling a little hopeful about this Manafort trial.

[pnwmom]

There are 18 charges and a mountain of paperwork. Surely they must find him guilty of something?

Or maybe a bunch of somethings. I keep hoping.

But if not, there's the trial in September. And there's New York state.

This won't be over even if the worst happens this week.

But I'm hoping hoping hoping he'll be a convicted felon by Friday.

[Grassy Knoll]

1. + 1000

[2naSalit]

2. +1

[RockRaven]

3. Some of the charges seem very straight-forward based on the documents and associated testimony

A bunch of tax and bank forms where it's a crime to use false info. False info was used. The people who filled out the forms testified Manafort directed them to do so, statements not refuted by cross-examination nor any evidence offered by the defense. The forms are his forms, legally speaking he's responsible for their content, and he signed them. After directing that false info be used. I honestly have no idea how someone could decide there was reasonable doubt there.

I doubt Manafort will get convicted of every count. But if he is convicted of NONE then there was someone on the jury who would have refused to convict him of ANYTHING no matter the evidence.

[pnwmom]

5. Right. The worst possibility I can see is jury nullification by a juror or two,

resulting in a hung jury.

I can't imagine 12 jurors looking at all this paper evidence and accountant and bookkeeper testimony and saying not guilty on all counts.

[spooky3]

9. Alexandria jurors are likely to be very well educated

And reasonably sophisticated. There aren’t many Trumpers there.

[dawg day]

7. Tax evasion is pretty straightforward-

You earn this much, you conceal it, you don't pay the right amount, you're out of luck.

If his wife signed their joint return....
Of course, a man who would insist she -against her will-- cuckold him with men he chose probably doesn't care all that much about her safety.

[Hoyt]

4. He's definitely guilty. Just hope there are not a couple of nut jobs on jury

who feel they are protecting trump or something. I no this trial is supposedly unrelated to trump, but white wingers ain’t rational.

[C Moon]

14. Good point. A hung jury.

[LincolnRossiter]

6. Seriously? Manafort is absolute toast. No question.

This isn’t really opinion. This is an iron-clad case.

[pnwmom]

10. A renegade Trumper could cause a hung jury. That's my concern. n/t

[sweetroxie]

8. I'm not so hopeful. I'm expecting a mistrial.

[Leghorn21]

11. Mom, I decided just yesterday that hey, no matter what the outcome, the world has sure

gotten an eyeful of this nasty little mobster, and there’s no getting around that fact now. And this Calk guy?!? Will he survive the revelations of this trial?!? I dunno, but man, what an idiot!!

And oh holy cow, Jared Kushner’s name magically appeared in a Manafort email?!?? NICE

And then there’s, as you say, his second trial next month. BRING IT

But what keeps me calm is knowing that one “Rick Gates” has not, according to moi, even begun to share with us the depths of his inside knowledge!!! He was hanging around the WH after Paulie took a hike, and helped run the inauguration along with Tom Barrack and Elliot Broidy, OH MY, and those two alone are a veritable goldmine of treachery and high-dollar machinations...

So hey, this trial is Mr. Mueller & Co. just overturning a few loose rocks lying about on this rich landscape of scandal, money laundering, conspiracy, influence-peddling ETC.

Also, please don’t forget that the chief financial officer for the Trump Organization, one Allen Weisselberg, will be kvetching with a Grand Jury here soon, and also, whassuppp, Cohen?!?

Nah, this party’s just gettin started, mom, hang tough!

[pnwmom]

12. Leghorn21, wow, and thank you

for your exhilarating post.

What a writer you are. Thanks for the laughs -- and the energy boost!

[BigmanPigman]

13. I have heard that this is expected to have a favorable outcome for

the prosecutors, despite the grandstanding judge (what an ass!).