103 Comments

Thanks Joyce. Feels like a good day to me! Including Wisconsin and Chicago!!!!!!

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While I did not get the alder I wanted in Chicago, I did get the mayor, and that is a relief. I had a friend who was saying a vote for Johnson was a vote for Vallas in both elections, I ignored him. He could not let go of Lightfoot. And while only 3% of the 18-24 age group voted in Chicago, my daughter, who turned 18 on March 3, went and registered to vote and voted early in the Chicago election, so she is part of that 3%! Yay! My nephew who is working on his PhD did not vote because he could not fit in getting to his parent's neighborhood on time. He was sent to another state to pick up Lab equipment with his other research fellows, and got back last Thursday, where he packed and moved on the weekend, then had to study for finals which he is having all week. It is unfortunate, but unless we get a better mail in system, better inform the youth on how to vote, and make time for them to go, it will not happen. In Germany people vote on Sundays. Since most things shut down then, it encourages more people to vote. I have missed one election since I was 18. It was the first one during covid when I did not have a mail in vote and did not want to crowd into the cramped little voting place where I am registered. Now I am signed up to regularly get a mailed ballot, and other than that they are sending them later than is desirable, I generally use them. Still, with these 2 important today’s a better day for Democracy! Todays a better day for prochoice supporters and women! Chicago, which has the most abortion clinics in IL, will be remaining a sanctuary for abortion. Wisconsin is likely to support abortion rights in their state. Yay!

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Seems to me a PhD candidate should be able to to get his busy self to the polls or arrange to vote absentee by mail as his aunt did. Hopefully this behavior is not typical for our brightest and most privileged young people.

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Actually, the pressure to do well on finals seems to outweigh other things in the 24 year old mind. Remember the frontal lobe does not fully develop until the age of 24-30, and in males it tends to be on the later end. The frontal lobe is responsible for organizational thinking and he did not plan this enough ahead of time. His parents neighborhood is a 2 hour public transportation commute and having finals on election day when he is done at 6 pm, after getting up at 5:30 am to get to school and work on time, he did not have time to go there before his work and finals. The polls close at 7 pm. I think they should be open longer, but having worked the polls one year, where we did not get a break from 5:00 am until 8:00 at night when we were closed, makes me understand why they could not be open longer. He also did not have time in the early voting because early voting was not early enough. Early voting opened and he was sent to Florida, and he had not been living in Chicago, so he was not set up for voting in the city except at his parents home which he has not lived in for a year. I think his situation is pretty typical of people who are students. I had a problem voting by mail in February. We left the country and they sent me my ballot the day before we left, and then I was notified that they had made a mistake and I should wait until it was redone. That was the ballot I returned to. Fortunately I still had time to vote before election day when we returned, but if we had been away longer I might not have been able to vote by mail. I voted in person for this past election and had to sign an affidavit that I would not use my mail in ballot, which had not come when I went to vote in the beginning of early voting because I was going with my daughter to register and vote. So, having work days for people who have jobs that they cannot just take off from is a problem. It is clear to me that for the youth vote (ages 18-24)to be more fully accessed, we need to do more education. He should have been able to vote on his campus and people should have tried to register everyone at his campus to vote who were not. Still, I would have driven him if I had known his schedule. I found out after the fact that he was not able to make it. I did a survey when I was an undergraduate that said I was more planful than 90 percent of the people who were in my age category. I was raised with the idea that to vote is to participate in a democracy and that without this we don't have a democracy. I wonder how many of our youth are getting that in school? I happen to know a lot of teachers do not teach civics, and that they do not teach many things that we all consider important to participation in a democratic society. It is very disturbing to me too. I would say that the values my nephew has are that he will work out each day, get a good night's sleep, and he makes sure to eat well as a vegetarian by cooking for himself each weekend with pots of legume stews that he can eat throughout the week. I think other things are a priority for him. Let us hope that this is the last election he misses.

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Ditto that🎉

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Thank you Joyce for spelling this out so well. It’s been quite a day! My feeling is things aren’t looking good for the don. And he will drivel on with his grievance and continue to grift but he may have met his match. And there is still Fani Willis and Jack Smith around the next corner. And thank you E. Jean for holding him accountable.

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I agree, assuming “Jack Smith” is the special prosecutor’s actual name ;-)

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What difference does that make?????

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Well if you’re prosecuting a baseball bat swinging wild man who threatens destruction, and he has orange hair, wouldn’t you want anonymity? Hang tight “Jack”! 🥸😎🤓

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Professor Vance, I write principally to note that what most resonates, at least for me, is how, from the outset, you had framed the Manhattan charges as an “origin story” of an ongoing scheme to override the will of the people. In many respects, April 4th marked the beginning of sketching a narrative extending over a series of years portraying a former, twice-impeached-now-indicted president who has undermined democracy and the rule of law and who, until recently, had managed to avoid accountability. That said, even as we wait on subsequent allegations for election interference and for efforts to reverse the 2020 election count, I suggest we stay laser-focused on what’s expected of us to help ensure we prevail up and down the ballot in 2024.

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Today was a good day. A blow was served up for the Rule of Law. And a blow for our democracy was served up in Wisconsin for all of us. I am not worried, Trump and all the fascists in this country are all going to be held legally responsible and accountable for their actions. Republicans are supporting Trump at the base and not Republican politicians in or out of office, because today they found out they have a lot to worry about. One big worry is if Trump's fears get the best of him, they will all go down with him. Fox News gang and a lot of evangelicals should be worried also.

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can you please write a piece devoted to what prosecutors and presiding judges can do to discourage or stop the thuggish threats by trump or by his son or supporters threatening judges, prosecutors , witnesses or potentially jurors?

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And the threats that 45 made last night!

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Gag order?

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I just want to know what is in the authority of the court in the context of Trump campaigning. I would imagine no judge wants to have to determine what Trump can say about his indictment and what constitutes threats to prosecutors, judges, witnesses and jurors. He may, however, find himself in that position. I just do not see how any court can fail to ignore a defendant whose son posts photos of the judge's daughter on social media, or who portrays the prosecutor and judge with "enemy" type characterizations.

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Do sad😕

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Well done Joyce, well done! We are asking the same question regarding a conspiracy charge..I suppose we will understand soon enough..However, it brings me to the subject of my next question, could a superseding indictment, be presented to add a conspiracy charge down the road?

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Bragg’s strategy, it seems, leaves Trump’s defense team in a muddle, state of uncertainty, at least for a while, about how and where to focus its rebuttal. Divide and Conquer. Meanwhile, Allen Weisselberg (and others) may emerge as witnesses for the prosecution, which remains a threatening variable beyond the control of the defense.

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Don't celebrate Wisconsin. The Republicans have already said if they won the State Senate seat (which they did) that gives them a 2/3 "conviction majority" they would impeach tonight's winner for things she "did" earlier. Their majority in the lower house means they can impeach, and their 2/3 in the Senate means they can convict. And if you think they "wouldn't go there" look at how they eviscerated the governor's powers after a Democrat won.

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So now we in Wisconsin have a new fight. *sigh* Back to the work table. We're going to win. Eventually.

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You guys are amazing, but I am glad I am not you. I don't think I have the endurance you have.

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I'm tired, but I'm angry. All we want is justice, not political B.S.

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Endurance. Our deep winters have taught us to endure. When I moved to this state 50+ years ago, my US Senators were Gaylord Nelson and Bill Proxmire, two visionary warriors. The last years have been tough, but we will meet these challenges. Go Wisconsin!

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Well that took the wind out of my sails. I guess I need to do more homework. Now that I think of it I remember them pretty much castrating the Democratic Governor. And they won’t think twice to impeach the duly elected Justice as the fascists they are. Obviously the majority of Wisconsin has made their choice clear and their fight is not over yet.

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I hate taking the wind out of your sails, but the disappointment of people who don't know what the WI GOP has promised is going to be terrible.

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Don’t worry about my sails, a little more wind from another direction and they will be fine. Maybe some trade winds would be nice. Seriously, I just kept hearing how this election was the most important in the nation for our democracy and future elections, after what almost happened there in 2020. I didn’t think it through even though I should have known with the super gerrymandered state government there.

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And Judge Janet Protasiewicz is our only hope of fixing that gerrymander. Why am I surprised that state Republicans aren't interested in the will of the people? And how do we fight this?

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“Have made their choice”. Just correcting my grammar

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TC, I’m not aware the Knodl-Sinykin race officially has been called, but presuming Knodl won, I understand, while Protasiewicz would be the principal target, Republican lawmakers conceivably could impeach and remove a host of state officials from the governor to cabinet secretaries to judges. If I’m right, then between now and the 2024 general election, I would hope we all would be laser-focused on this critical battleground state.

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It could get the WIS state legis. in hot water if they remove the judge the People just voted for. She won by a lot. It’s not nice to fool with the Will of the People.

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Ruthie, A commentator earlier this evening (I don’t recall who) portrayed the Wisconsin State Legislature as “cutthroat, but conscious of politics.” Accordingly, while I sense your perceptions overall are accurate, given that the Legislature’s Republican majority largely is due to gerrymandering, I remain concerned of its response were the Court expected to accept a gerrymandering case.

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Yes, I agree we should be concerned! At the same time, such a scenario could be an opportunity to counter-attack. Counter-attack hard (through words) and diminish the Republican legislators who would attempt to thwart democracy!

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Ruthie, I agree, and simply would add I would press for a nationwide repudiation of any effort to remove Protasiewicz.

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I really hope you are right. WI GOP has repeatedly shown themselves unconscionable.

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True!

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But if the R's impeach Judge Janet, who would replace her? I believe the Democratic Governor, Tony Evers, would have that responsibility, and he sure as hell ain't gonna appoint a Republican!

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Unfortunately no. His choice would have to be confirmed by the State Senate. :-(

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Can you imagine the OUTRAGE that will occur when repugs pull that one.......

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Aaaaargh.....

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TC, In the event Protasiewicz’s seat were vacated, I understand Evers would appoint a temporary replacement who would serve until a permanent successor were elected.

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However they can vote to deny that appointment.

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TC, So far as I know, no such provision exists.

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Here are the relevant rules for impeachment in Wisconsin:

IMPEACHMENT

Removal of: Civil Officers of the State (“civil officers” is not defined)

Initiated by: The Legislature

Impeachment is a procedure that allows the Legislature to remove any civil officer of the state for specific reasons. Removing an official through impeachment is a two-step process: (1) the State Assembly votes to impeach; and (2) the State Senate tries the impeachment.

The Assembly may impeach an elected official by a majority vote based on specific reasons: corrupt conduct in office or for the commission of a crime or misdemeanor. [Wis. Const. art. VII, s. 1, and s. 17.06 (1), Stats.] If a majority of the Assembly votes to impeach, the impeachment moves to the Senate.

The Senate may then conduct a trial of the impeachment. The Senators act as a court and try the elected official according to the evidence. If 2/3rds of the Senators present vote to convict the elected official, the official is convicted (which is typically referred to as “being impeached”).

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😂

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We should still celebrate what was accomplished in Wisconsin last night! By 10 points! Planning, implementation & action, funding, and perseverance provided hope to the majority of Wisconsin’s citizens today. And they’re not stopping now.

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After what Lardo Lardass did when he got back to Merde A Loco, after being admionished by the judge not to "go there," it's time for the judge to stick a gag down his throat so far it pops out his ginormous posterior.

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Yes. Or something! What normally happens when someone violates a gag order?

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Now I understand why I need a lawyer to explain the outline as well as the fine points of this indictment. This is a masterfully concise retelling, Joyce, and I appreciate the effort you put into making it coherent.

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As usual Joyce--thanks for your mentoring and explanation. I too was concerned about not formally bringing forth a conspiracy charge too as it seems to me as a non-lawyer that a conspiracy case involving Cohen, Trump, and Pecker had been developed or was being developed. On the other hand, I was reassured by Bragg's press conference as well as the Q & A and the idea that his team did not have to go into all the details in the indictment itself.

Here was my reaction as a criminologist to the indictment, the bigger picture, and to the upcoming E. Jean Carroll battery and defamation civil case hopefully to be litigated as scheduled for April 25, 2023. --potentially the first related case to secure accountability from Donald J. Trump for his personal crimes against women and for for his misogyny: https://thecrimereport.org/2023/04/04/a-criminal-case-fifty-years-in-the-making/.

Gregg Barak

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Does all this mean that The Donald will likely spend all eternity sizzling and burning and gnashing his teeth in the fiery bowels of hell? I get confused about how all that works. I'm not from around here.

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Hahaha. Instead of MAGA, he can call it “MHGA” (Make Hell Great Again)!

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Joyce, thank you for your analysis. I am curious about whether NY has a particular legal doctrine. In California, there is a unanimity doctrine that is applicable when prosecutors present several underlying facts, any one of which could constitute a crime. Either the prosecutor has to elect which fact he or she believes constitutes the criminal conduct or the jury instructions must require the jurors to agree on the act. An example of the type of case that it would apply is child molestation when the victim testifies that he or she was molested on several different occasions. The unanimity rule is inapplicable regarding the theory of liability, ie express malice or implied malice. I realize that NY was not your balliwick, but do you know if NY State has a unanimity legal doctrine & if so, whether it would be implicated by the element of "intent to commit another crime"?

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MAGA= My Ass Got Arrested 😂

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Why are they delaying the hearing until December?

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I wondered the same thing. Then I thought about courts being short-staffed and overwhelmed, plus the time necessary for TFG's lawyers to review all of the charges along with discovery evidence, plus maybe some legal stuff I know nothing about. I wish this were on a fast track, but I think it's reasonable.

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Totally agree with most of “the real Donald” tweet. I would just change a few words. I couldn’t believe it was happening FINALLY!!!

I already don’t watch “news” so I really appreciate staying updated as to what is happening and in a way i totally understand.

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