Would Flynn's possible future testimony be viewed as credible?

[madville]

It will be a given that any defendant's counsel will attempt to impeach Flynn's credibility as a witness under cross examination. Now that Flynn is a convicted liar, is cooperating with prosecutors in an effort to lighten his sentence, and resigned after his lies to Pence were revealed, how does that affect his credibility as a witness for the prosecution?

I don't think Mueller should use him in court, you can't really put a pathological liar on the stand and make a case that he is now suddenly telling the truth.

Is Flynn's main value just inside information that can lead them to other people and give Mueller leverage? If all they have is verbal interactions between Flynn and a defendant, I don't think they can rely solely on Flynn or use him in court but his cooperation can scare some others that may eventually flip.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. He's usable as long as his statements can be verified

or can otherwise be rehabilitated. But it's more likely that Mueller will be using him to lead to other information, not as a trial witness.

[emulatorloo]

2. He pled guilty to lying. He acknowledged that he lied, it was wrong to lie, and a crime to lie

His future depends on him telling the truth.

As VO sAid above Mueller will verify everything he says w others. Additionally the paperwork presented the other day says he will submit to lie detector tests.

[rock]

6. Correcto Mundo

His reliability is quite high right at the moment, because of the excessive cost if he lies again under oath!

[Horizens]

7. Indeed

Mueller is no dummy. Whatever Flynn has to say will be reinforced by other witnesses and documents. It won's be Flynn's word alone.

[marylandblue]

3. Everybody lied, so it doesn't matter much

They all lied to the FBI at one point or another. Trump lies in public everyday. A liar can't escape justice by noting that all his co-conspirators are also liars. The one whose final story is closest to the verifiable truth is the winner.

[thucythucy]

5. Not to mention Trump has spent the last year telling us what a great and honest patriot he is. nt

[shraby]

10. If Flynn lies, Mueller has a raft of charges to bring down on his head, the charge of lying

will be the least of his troubles. He may spend the rest of his life behind bars as well as his son. They were involved in a conspiracy to undermine the United States government not to mention the kidnapping plan.

[forgotmylogin]

4. I get the feeling Flynn's seat is over a trap door.

Any funny business, Mueller pushes the button that delivers him to a jail cell.

[jberryhill]

8. Credibility is a jury question

You use "pathological liar".

Most liars are not pathological liars - i.e. liars who compulsively lie for no reason.

Flynn is a rational liar. His lies were for the purpose of concealing a truth - i.e. that he was in repeated contact and communications with Russian spies for improper purposes during the transition.

That fact is now revealed, and he has admitted to lying about it.

He has no further rational incentive to lie.

You are confusing a couple of things here. A jury may, if it wants to, consider someone who tells one lie to the jury under oath to be wholly incredible. But his lies in the course of the investigation of Russian collusion were done for a purpose that is no longer relevant, and were not made to the jury which is going to consider his further testimony.

Additionally, his testimony will be used in conjunction with other evidence supporting what it is he is saying - phone records, emails, etc..

Yeah, sure, a jury can take into account that he has pleaded guilty to lying. But that by no means establishes him as a pathological liar, since he has no further reason to lie.

[madville]

11. Defenses make the argument all the time

That coconspirators who cooperate with the prosecution are lying in order to meet the terms of their plea deal and reduce their sentences. Whether that is something the jury believes or not will vary of course.

[jberryhill]

12. They can surely point it out

[marble falls]

9. Liars testify and help convict co-conspirators all the time. Sonny Gravino's testimony put ...

the Teflon Don, John Gotti up the river. Bernie Madoff's lying co-conspirators helped bring him down.