This is incorrect.
There are two components for the state to make their case:
- That the accused falsified (or caused to be falsified) business records.
- That the accused did so to either commit another crime or did so to hide/aid in the commission of another crime.
Yes, that’s what I have been saying. Except for one thing… the indictment doesn’t say made or caused it says made and caused. But I’m sure the judge will let them change that as they go.
But yes. If they are going to prove the 30 something counts to the indictment, that’s exactly what they have to show.
You appear to be attempting to reduce the requirements to a single condition which isn't really the case. I don't know if the attempted reduction fallacy is on purpose or by accident.
It is not a fallacy. I think you may be confused by the fact that there are so many counts in the indictment. That may make you think that there must be multiple crimes that Trump is charged with. Actually, it is exactly the same crime charge repeated 30 something times.
No one here is able to say what the evidence of that would be except Michael Cohen. Cohen is an absurdly unreliable witness, if the prosecutors decided to search the country for the most unreliable possible witness, Cohen would’ve certainly come near the top of their list.
However there are multiple components to the charges the state will have to present to the jury.
WW
Yes, I think you are smart enough to understand what is actually going to happen. There is going to be a lengthy smear of Donald Trump, bringing in a lying sleazy lawyers, a blackmailing, porn star, and anybody else to say negative things about Trump that will be gleefully reported in the press. That’s obviously the purpose of the trial.
At some point, they will get to trying to actually prove that Trump made the entries, and that it was to conceal a crime. There is no evidence of that, or we would’ve heard about it already.
So then we go to closing arguments where the prosecutors will talk about all the horrible things at the porn star and the lying disbarred lawyer said about Trump. The defense attorney will say where is the evidence that Trump made false entries to conceal a crime?
The jury will deliberate and those who like Trump will want to find him not guilty, and those who don’t like Trump will want to find him guilty. anybody with any brains that’s exactly what this is about and exactly what is going to happen.