I’m listening to Joyce and others on Nicole Wallace’s show discussing the E. Jean Carroll trial. My mind went immediately to Dr. Christine B. Ford and how she was treated by the Congress and terrorized by terrible people who decided to threaten her and her family because she dared share her awful experience with kavanaugh. Her world was shattered for a second time because of that man and because of how our society still chooses to treat women who speak out.
Yes, it was terribly traumatic for Christine Blasey Ford and also for millions of women around the country who could empathize with her because they had shared similar experiences.
I'll never forget how stunned and discouraged the Republicans in the White House were after Ford's powerful testimony. Media reporting said Trump and his crew were afraid the strength of her testimony had sunk Brett Kavanaugh's chances of being confirmed as a Supreme Court justice.
Then White House Counsel, Don McGahn, a long time friend of Kavanaugh's, advised him to get combative and aggressive in the upcoming Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. For whatever reason, Kavanaugh's unbelievably rude and arrogant behavior towards Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which showcased his total lack of judicial temperament, saved Kavanaugh and he was later confirmed.
It was the old boy's network of priviledged white men from wealthy families who treated the Supreme Court nomination like a high school football game to be won by any means necessary. And they treated Dr. Ford like those kind of entitled men treated women in general. Her truth, dignity, courage and pain were just a hurdle to leap over on their way to another touchdown. Just like Senator Amy Klobuchar, politely questioning him, was a hurdle that Kavanaugh chose to attack in order to get what he wanted.
Justice Kavanaugh slid onto the Court! It was set-up by The Federalist Society and worked perfectly. All a plan, and it has turned out as a nasty political move! Our country is again doomed by a terrible group of under miners. Not the best minds but made possible by the impossibles?
I think this is why so many laws are being created across the Country to marginalize women and girls. It makes it easier for predators to do whatever they want to women and girls and get away with it. The dream on the right is for the only powerful people to be White Men.
What got me about that entire fiasco was the response of the FBI with their non-investigation. Why Christopher Wray still has a job in this administration is beyond me.
Joyce does a fine wrap-up of what all is going on in E Jean Carroll’s civil case and I also agree with the job that Nichole Wallace does. On You Tube I always check in to MTN. They cover a range of legal topics along with some political comments.
Don’t despair. Last night I had a long talk with my Grandson. I explained that his rights and that of his friends could be eroded if they do not start caring about the political environment. We are a bit spoiled here in Washington. But our wonderful Governor is stepping down and we will have to hold the line if we are to continue to have such a great state. He got it! And promised me that he would speak with his friends and telling them how important it is to vote. Maybe if we get enough young people onboard, we can save our democracy. There are more of us than them. Get out the vote!
Thank you for this detailed essay about the ongoing E. Jean Carroll trial. I hope justice will be eventually served. She has endured much suffering for many years. I remember reading about his assault on her when he was running for president, and to this day still find it incredible that he STILL got elected despite the numerous other victims and accusers.
I hope so too. It boggles my mind how Trump has maneuvered through crime after misdemeanor and still prevails. The Republican party and MAGA people have no shame, no sense of decency, and no insight or self-reflection. I am so tired of every shred of truth and evidence being met with "It's the Democrats that..."(you name it.)
I read the Guardian (UK,) and there was a note today which stated that the same forces who jigger the Supreme Court, (the Federalist Society, et al) with $$ are prepared to install 20,000 like minded people in every corner of the next Trump administration: courts, national security, WH staff, state governments, et al. Then we will become a fascist nation.
Trump has spent his lifetime assaulting women like E. Jean Carroll, but also sexualizing women, including his daughter Ivanka, and even his niece Mary. There are dozens of examples of what he's said about Ivanka, but a few stood out. The first was reported by The Independent in 2016. “When Trump was watching his 16-year-old daughter Ivanka host the 1997 Miss Teen USA pageant, he turned to the then-Miss Universe and asked: “Don’t you think my daughter’s hot? She’s hot, right?”
And, in a 2016 article in Politico, “Trump told radio host Howard Stern in 2004 that it was okay for the shock jock to refer to Ivanka as ‘a piece of ass.’"
According to Mary Trump’s book, “Trump even made a crass comment about her breasts after seeing her in a bathing suit. ‘Holy shit, Mary. You’re stacked,’ the former president allegedly said. His then-wife, Marla Maples, slapped him lightly on the arm.” What she should have done to him, is something I am loathe to suggest.
But, Marla, Melania, and possibly daughter Ivanka had to know about Trump's assaults against women, and they need to take responsibility for their silence.
Yet, when I look at E. Jean Carroll's bravery and courage, I have hope. And, what I hope for the most is that she and her attorney Roberta Kaplan legally pulverize Trump, and force him to pay so much money for Carroll's and other women's pain and suffering, that people throughout the world gasp at the amount. And, the rest of take up the mantle and fight for Democratic candidates throughout our country to replace Trump's supporters and enablers who have repeatedly demonstrated their complicity and cowardice.
Trump may get away without criminal charges for his rape of Ms. Carroll, but the indictment of the Republican Party that has ignored this transgression and others must be repeated over and over.
Regarding reversing the Chevron doctrine, I'm not surprised. We just have to get a super-majority in the Senate and a majority in the House to pass a law explicitly passing the Chevron doctrine so that Congress doesn't have to legislate every detail.
Also, we need a law to enshrine privacy to make medical decisions that are free from religious oversight, a law to forbid Gerrymandering and instead draw congressional districts based on purely population density, not politics or race, a law enacting basic common sense gun measures, repeal the law that requires Congress to approve spending the budget it has voted for, a stronger voting rights act. What am I missing? I'm tired just writing this.
We need the repubf**ers out of power for just long enough to get basic government work done and for that party to realize it needs to truly reassess how it wants to represent citizens so in might start winning fair elections in which basic truths prevail.
In this country, other than at a port of entry, we're not required to carry and present place-of-origin or citizenship papers to every inquiring authority. The closest it comes is carrying a driver's license and proof of registration/insurance to a police officer for a traffic violation. Think of it; for a specific and generally benign skill, that of driving a motor vehicle, we have to demonstrate that we are licensed, the vehicle is registered with the state AND that we have coverage against potential damages caused by the driver in the event of an accident.
I don't walk amongst strangers attempting to identify if they carry US Citizenship or not. We're not like "the Sneeches, with Stars or no Stars upon thars." We are expected to treat others around us with equal regard. And, we are constrained against acting against another due to their appearance, their primary language or other indication of a foreign origin. So, documented or undocumented makes no difference within our borders. You just don't get to shoot people, period.
In the matter of the weapon, a tool with none other than lethal utility, there is no uniform national expectation of registration of the weapon, competence for the carrier, or liability coverage against harm caused by the device. Why isn't a gun more like a car? Use of a car is generally constrained by possession of a key. The vehicle is essentially disabled without one. A gun? no lock, no key. A toddler can fire one, as can a lunatic who might never qualify for a drivers license. We are a country of inconsistent laws and principles, decided by individuals who would often be unqualified for any licensed vocation, occupation or profession. Why is it there are so few qualifications to run and be elected to public office? lunatics are running the asylum in multiple jurisdictions. And in those places where elected and appointed individuals DO have credentials like licenses to practice law, and judicial mandates, political maneuvers are being deployed to intimidate and dismiss them. "We, the People" has morphed into "We, the Lunatic Fringe". The reason is simple; the rest of us became complacent in our obligation to soberly participate at the ballot box. The solution is theoretically simple; get serious and participate. Politics have made it more difficult to do so in some places. Sufficient voter participation, in spite of those barriers, can still clear the deck of lunatics. We need the kind of participation that flirts with 99%, not 50-60%.
I will be glad never to hear the name Trump again. Christopher Wray should have been fired when President Biden took office. I am not at all surprise of FBI agents or Ex FBI agents, military or cops taking part in 6th January. These groups act and think they are untouchable, and can do as they damn well please. We have a long way to go to make this country even come close to fulfilling its idealism.
AND some extremely sketchy behavior from the Presidential Secret Service Detail. And Secret Service destroyed their phones. I live in Louisiana and that phone-destroying- b s is EXACTLY what they do down here.
Joyce, what is a real life example that the Chevron case could change? If a large employer can’t mandate vaccinations for employees to keep them all and their families and communities safe, what else could Chevron mean to the Agencies (institutions) that serve the public good? I’m curious about Public Education, the EPA, the Clean Air and Water Act, CDC’s authority, etc.
When tRump loses this case, which he will, it’s a speed bump for him politically. When Jack Smith drops the Indictment on tRump’s theft of top secret documents and obstruction of justice, and/or J6, it will not be a speed bump. It will derail the tRump train. But when? We’ll see whether he puts the rule, and the long arm, of law around the neck of the disgusting racist rapist and completes the horse collar tackle this.nation so desperately needs. And yes, there will be violence, stoked by the greatest stochastic terrorist of all time.
Thank you for your easy to understand (with one exception)explanations. Hoping that E. Jean Carroll is able to find some peace from this trial .
The one exception I mentioned was the Chevron doctrine. I had to reread a few times then google it, then reread. I finally understood it but hay I am 75! now how do I work this knowledge into a conversation?
Good evening Joyce. Thank you for your timely update. Ms. Carroll’s case appears to be gaining momentum in her favor. The former FBI agent who turned on J6 to support the coup I find perplexing and sad. What are we doing to circumvent this scenario going forward within the FBI and relevant groups. And how are we going to change the narrative so that we can pass relevant gun legislation that makes us safer? Congress is a tough place to get things done right now but I see brilliant and courageous men and women every day working hard to preserve our freedoms. There are more of us than them. Thanks again for lighting the way 🇺🇸
I agree that the demise of Chevron, which I fully expect from these clowns, will be a disaster overall. However, it will not be a panacea for our polluting and climate denying friends everywhere. Overturning Chevron has the potential to blow up in their faces in common law states with powerful public and private nuisance laws and strong prohibitions against private takings which are what nuisances are. Polluters will lose the defenses that they complied with the regulations and individual states will no longer be preempted from passing their own more powerful laws. The real weakness will be states with attorneys general that will not bring the public nuisance cases. Regardless, private nuisance cases can be very powerful. I still remember “beasts, filths, and stenches” from law school. The unintended consequences may be particularly strong in English common law states like SC, especially if they have an incorporation statute like SC does that adopts English law (SC Code 14-1-50, https://law.justia.com/codes/south-carolina/2016/title-14/chapter-1/section-14-1-50 ) for matters not addressed in and not contrary to SC’s statutes and Constitution. We need competent lawyers with imaginations. The car industry might truly love it with states like California (Sarcasm HaHaHa).
E. Jean Carroll stands for every woman who has yet to tell her story. Or been believed. The strength it must take for her to tell the truth of her experience, something so personal and private, in view of cameras and media all day. I hope soon she will find closure and peace.
I’m listening to Joyce and others on Nicole Wallace’s show discussing the E. Jean Carroll trial. My mind went immediately to Dr. Christine B. Ford and how she was treated by the Congress and terrorized by terrible people who decided to threaten her and her family because she dared share her awful experience with kavanaugh. Her world was shattered for a second time because of that man and because of how our society still chooses to treat women who speak out.
Yes, it was terribly traumatic for Christine Blasey Ford and also for millions of women around the country who could empathize with her because they had shared similar experiences.
I'll never forget how stunned and discouraged the Republicans in the White House were after Ford's powerful testimony. Media reporting said Trump and his crew were afraid the strength of her testimony had sunk Brett Kavanaugh's chances of being confirmed as a Supreme Court justice.
Then White House Counsel, Don McGahn, a long time friend of Kavanaugh's, advised him to get combative and aggressive in the upcoming Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. For whatever reason, Kavanaugh's unbelievably rude and arrogant behavior towards Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which showcased his total lack of judicial temperament, saved Kavanaugh and he was later confirmed.
It was the old boy's network of priviledged white men from wealthy families who treated the Supreme Court nomination like a high school football game to be won by any means necessary. And they treated Dr. Ford like those kind of entitled men treated women in general. Her truth, dignity, courage and pain were just a hurdle to leap over on their way to another touchdown. Just like Senator Amy Klobuchar, politely questioning him, was a hurdle that Kavanaugh chose to attack in order to get what he wanted.
Watch this behavior in a "man" seeking appointment to the highest court in America. It is a disgusting and shameful display. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=autkkRE2GhA
Justice Kavanaugh slid onto the Court! It was set-up by The Federalist Society and worked perfectly. All a plan, and it has turned out as a nasty political move! Our country is again doomed by a terrible group of under miners. Not the best minds but made possible by the impossibles?
I think this is why so many laws are being created across the Country to marginalize women and girls. It makes it easier for predators to do whatever they want to women and girls and get away with it. The dream on the right is for the only powerful people to be White Men.
Yes, the powerful White male class!
VOTE-women of America!!
What got me about that entire fiasco was the response of the FBI with their non-investigation. Why Christopher Wray still has a job in this administration is beyond me.
Joyce does a fine wrap-up of what all is going on in E Jean Carroll’s civil case and I also agree with the job that Nichole Wallace does. On You Tube I always check in to MTN. They cover a range of legal topics along with some political comments.
Don’t despair. Last night I had a long talk with my Grandson. I explained that his rights and that of his friends could be eroded if they do not start caring about the political environment. We are a bit spoiled here in Washington. But our wonderful Governor is stepping down and we will have to hold the line if we are to continue to have such a great state. He got it! And promised me that he would speak with his friends and telling them how important it is to vote. Maybe if we get enough young people onboard, we can save our democracy. There are more of us than them. Get out the vote!
My pleasure 💕
Thank you for this detailed essay about the ongoing E. Jean Carroll trial. I hope justice will be eventually served. She has endured much suffering for many years. I remember reading about his assault on her when he was running for president, and to this day still find it incredible that he STILL got elected despite the numerous other victims and accusers.
I hope so too. It boggles my mind how Trump has maneuvered through crime after misdemeanor and still prevails. The Republican party and MAGA people have no shame, no sense of decency, and no insight or self-reflection. I am so tired of every shred of truth and evidence being met with "It's the Democrats that..."(you name it.)
I read the Guardian (UK,) and there was a note today which stated that the same forces who jigger the Supreme Court, (the Federalist Society, et al) with $$ are prepared to install 20,000 like minded people in every corner of the next Trump administration: courts, national security, WH staff, state governments, et al. Then we will become a fascist nation.
Trump has spent his lifetime assaulting women like E. Jean Carroll, but also sexualizing women, including his daughter Ivanka, and even his niece Mary. There are dozens of examples of what he's said about Ivanka, but a few stood out. The first was reported by The Independent in 2016. “When Trump was watching his 16-year-old daughter Ivanka host the 1997 Miss Teen USA pageant, he turned to the then-Miss Universe and asked: “Don’t you think my daughter’s hot? She’s hot, right?”
And, in a 2016 article in Politico, “Trump told radio host Howard Stern in 2004 that it was okay for the shock jock to refer to Ivanka as ‘a piece of ass.’"
According to Mary Trump’s book, “Trump even made a crass comment about her breasts after seeing her in a bathing suit. ‘Holy shit, Mary. You’re stacked,’ the former president allegedly said. His then-wife, Marla Maples, slapped him lightly on the arm.” What she should have done to him, is something I am loathe to suggest.
But, Marla, Melania, and possibly daughter Ivanka had to know about Trump's assaults against women, and they need to take responsibility for their silence.
Yet, when I look at E. Jean Carroll's bravery and courage, I have hope. And, what I hope for the most is that she and her attorney Roberta Kaplan legally pulverize Trump, and force him to pay so much money for Carroll's and other women's pain and suffering, that people throughout the world gasp at the amount. And, the rest of take up the mantle and fight for Democratic candidates throughout our country to replace Trump's supporters and enablers who have repeatedly demonstrated their complicity and cowardice.
Trump may get away without criminal charges for his rape of Ms. Carroll, but the indictment of the Republican Party that has ignored this transgression and others must be repeated over and over.
Regarding reversing the Chevron doctrine, I'm not surprised. We just have to get a super-majority in the Senate and a majority in the House to pass a law explicitly passing the Chevron doctrine so that Congress doesn't have to legislate every detail.
Also, we need a law to enshrine privacy to make medical decisions that are free from religious oversight, a law to forbid Gerrymandering and instead draw congressional districts based on purely population density, not politics or race, a law enacting basic common sense gun measures, repeal the law that requires Congress to approve spending the budget it has voted for, a stronger voting rights act. What am I missing? I'm tired just writing this.
We need the repubf**ers out of power for just long enough to get basic government work done and for that party to realize it needs to truly reassess how it wants to represent citizens so in might start winning fair elections in which basic truths prevail.
I can dream, can't I?
You could also run for an office. Any office. I’ll work on your campaign!
In this country, other than at a port of entry, we're not required to carry and present place-of-origin or citizenship papers to every inquiring authority. The closest it comes is carrying a driver's license and proof of registration/insurance to a police officer for a traffic violation. Think of it; for a specific and generally benign skill, that of driving a motor vehicle, we have to demonstrate that we are licensed, the vehicle is registered with the state AND that we have coverage against potential damages caused by the driver in the event of an accident.
I don't walk amongst strangers attempting to identify if they carry US Citizenship or not. We're not like "the Sneeches, with Stars or no Stars upon thars." We are expected to treat others around us with equal regard. And, we are constrained against acting against another due to their appearance, their primary language or other indication of a foreign origin. So, documented or undocumented makes no difference within our borders. You just don't get to shoot people, period.
In the matter of the weapon, a tool with none other than lethal utility, there is no uniform national expectation of registration of the weapon, competence for the carrier, or liability coverage against harm caused by the device. Why isn't a gun more like a car? Use of a car is generally constrained by possession of a key. The vehicle is essentially disabled without one. A gun? no lock, no key. A toddler can fire one, as can a lunatic who might never qualify for a drivers license. We are a country of inconsistent laws and principles, decided by individuals who would often be unqualified for any licensed vocation, occupation or profession. Why is it there are so few qualifications to run and be elected to public office? lunatics are running the asylum in multiple jurisdictions. And in those places where elected and appointed individuals DO have credentials like licenses to practice law, and judicial mandates, political maneuvers are being deployed to intimidate and dismiss them. "We, the People" has morphed into "We, the Lunatic Fringe". The reason is simple; the rest of us became complacent in our obligation to soberly participate at the ballot box. The solution is theoretically simple; get serious and participate. Politics have made it more difficult to do so in some places. Sufficient voter participation, in spite of those barriers, can still clear the deck of lunatics. We need the kind of participation that flirts with 99%, not 50-60%.
This is a wonderful post ! Thank you
I'm hoping a Trump loss to Ms Carroll is like the spring thaw and leads us to a summer full of indictments and the setting of trial dates.
It sounds like they are struggling, but I hope we will be hearing from the Proud Boy jury soon.
As I’ve noted prior—it would be poetic justice if a woman was able to be the first to hold tfg to the law and make him accountable!!
Gun Wars
News comes among waves of general malaise
Like old billboards along-side a lonely
Stretch of road in the desert, only hot air
Behind and between them. Just more desert.
Here where the bodies of two women are found
Spread on top their two children for protection.
Who ask, "Now what is mine,all that is left to do?"
In this place where illusion has replaced allusion
To the connection between guns and violence
And culpability is met with stunning confusion.
I will be glad never to hear the name Trump again. Christopher Wray should have been fired when President Biden took office. I am not at all surprise of FBI agents or Ex FBI agents, military or cops taking part in 6th January. These groups act and think they are untouchable, and can do as they damn well please. We have a long way to go to make this country even come close to fulfilling its idealism.
AND some extremely sketchy behavior from the Presidential Secret Service Detail. And Secret Service destroyed their phones. I live in Louisiana and that phone-destroying- b s is EXACTLY what they do down here.
Joyce, what is a real life example that the Chevron case could change? If a large employer can’t mandate vaccinations for employees to keep them all and their families and communities safe, what else could Chevron mean to the Agencies (institutions) that serve the public good? I’m curious about Public Education, the EPA, the Clean Air and Water Act, CDC’s authority, etc.
When tRump loses this case, which he will, it’s a speed bump for him politically. When Jack Smith drops the Indictment on tRump’s theft of top secret documents and obstruction of justice, and/or J6, it will not be a speed bump. It will derail the tRump train. But when? We’ll see whether he puts the rule, and the long arm, of law around the neck of the disgusting racist rapist and completes the horse collar tackle this.nation so desperately needs. And yes, there will be violence, stoked by the greatest stochastic terrorist of all time.
Thank you for your easy to understand (with one exception)explanations. Hoping that E. Jean Carroll is able to find some peace from this trial .
The one exception I mentioned was the Chevron doctrine. I had to reread a few times then google it, then reread. I finally understood it but hay I am 75! now how do I work this knowledge into a conversation?
Bravo, Judge Kaplan!
Thank you Joyce for your needed insight. Peace🙏🏼😨
Let's ask Greg Abbott how the shooter was able to obtain an AR15. Did he buy it at a gun fair?
Good evening Joyce. Thank you for your timely update. Ms. Carroll’s case appears to be gaining momentum in her favor. The former FBI agent who turned on J6 to support the coup I find perplexing and sad. What are we doing to circumvent this scenario going forward within the FBI and relevant groups. And how are we going to change the narrative so that we can pass relevant gun legislation that makes us safer? Congress is a tough place to get things done right now but I see brilliant and courageous men and women every day working hard to preserve our freedoms. There are more of us than them. Thanks again for lighting the way 🇺🇸
I agree that the demise of Chevron, which I fully expect from these clowns, will be a disaster overall. However, it will not be a panacea for our polluting and climate denying friends everywhere. Overturning Chevron has the potential to blow up in their faces in common law states with powerful public and private nuisance laws and strong prohibitions against private takings which are what nuisances are. Polluters will lose the defenses that they complied with the regulations and individual states will no longer be preempted from passing their own more powerful laws. The real weakness will be states with attorneys general that will not bring the public nuisance cases. Regardless, private nuisance cases can be very powerful. I still remember “beasts, filths, and stenches” from law school. The unintended consequences may be particularly strong in English common law states like SC, especially if they have an incorporation statute like SC does that adopts English law (SC Code 14-1-50, https://law.justia.com/codes/south-carolina/2016/title-14/chapter-1/section-14-1-50 ) for matters not addressed in and not contrary to SC’s statutes and Constitution. We need competent lawyers with imaginations. The car industry might truly love it with states like California (Sarcasm HaHaHa).
Thank you for giving us a little hope this morning
E. Jean Carroll stands for every woman who has yet to tell her story. Or been believed. The strength it must take for her to tell the truth of her experience, something so personal and private, in view of cameras and media all day. I hope soon she will find closure and peace.
And for all the Anita Hill’s and Monica’s who were brave enough to tell the truth only to have their lives nearly destroyed