Ben Kochman
@benkochman
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Your guy in New York courts @nypost ~🎾 🏀 buff, subway rider, lunch pundit ~ 📩bkochman @nypost .com
New York, NY
Joined October 2010
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Pinned Tweet
Cash stuffed in envelopes at an upscale Italian restaurant.
Cryptic comments at white tablecloth hotspots.
Cigars, cognac, steaks.
The Menendez trial is something you can sink your teeth into
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Donald Trump keeps re-posting a photo of a bearded man at his civil fraud trial.
He's signal-boosted claims that the guy is the son of the judge — and that this somehow is a scandal.
There's just one problem.
The guy in the photo is me.
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This is highly misleading.
Here is EXACTLY what juror No. 2 said.
Because he's an investment banker, "I read basically everything," he said.
"I am on Twitter. I follow TruthSocial posts from Trump on Twitter. I do follow Michael Cohen, Mueller She Wrote, and some more."
Juror 2 gets their news from Truth Social, only person on the panel to do so, reports
@nytimes
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Trump has been slouched at the defense table yet again with his eyes closed, this time for more than 15 minutes.
Whether he's sleeping or this is some sort of silent protest is hard to say.
But jurors -- who have been awake the whole time-- can absolutely see this.
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"He’s not just our former president," Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche says in his opening. "He’s a man. He’s a husband, he’s a father, and he’s a person, just like you and just like me."
Trump's family is not here with him in court today.
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The transcript does not do justice to how the judge slipped into what I’d call a “New York tough guy” accent as he grilled Costello:
“ARE YOU STARING ME DOWN RIGHT NOW?”
It’s an open courtroom, however, and media should have been allowed to stay.
Here’s *that* exchange between Justice Merchan and Robert Costello earlier today:
JUSTICE MERCHAN to ROBERT COSTELLO: “Are you staring me down right now?…I’m putting you on notice that your conduct is contemptuous…”
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Donald Trump has been sitting still with his eyes closed, his body slumped deep into his seat, for at least 10 minutes now while Cohen testifies.
This is behavior typically associated with people who are asleep.
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The everyday Manhattanites that will decide Trump's fate, 12 jurors and six alternates, just filed one by one into the courtroom.
Trump stood to greet them and looked at them.
Not one looked back at him.
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Mike Johnson did not spend a single minute in the actual courtroom today.
House Speaker Mike Johnson says at presser outside Trump’s hush money trial that he told Trump “I wanted to be here myself and call out what is a travesty of justice.”
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this guy isn't on Truth Social. He follows Trump's TS posts through Twitter, which, frankly, is what I do.
I wouldn't say I get MY news from Truth Social.
@ParnellWesley
double check it from April 18 transcript but you may want to tweak this.
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If you read this article and asked, well, can I see these swaggy opera glasses then?
Here ya go, pal.
Via
@eorden
&
@benfeuerherd
:
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It's hard to encapsulate how surreal it is to watch everyday New Yorkers diss (and occasionally praise) Donald Trump to his face, and watch him just sit there, in navy blue suit, slumped at the defense table, and listen silently.
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Trump's normally soft spoken lawyer Todd Blanche started his cross-examination of Michael Cohen today by saying this:
"You went on TikTok and called me a 'Crying Little Shit,' didn't you?"
"Sounds like something I would say," Cohen replied.
Here's the full moment.
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For the first time in 15 minutes, I just witnessed Trump jerk his head forward slightly. His eyes are still closed.
This is still behavior typically associated with people who are asleep.
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Including a hat
This Truth Social post was just shown at the Trump hush-money trial. Trump emphasized he was fully clothed when he took a photo with Stormy Daniels.
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As they left the courtroom, not one of the 12 everyday Manhattanites on the jury made eye contact with Donald Trump as they passed the defense table.
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Donald Trump just claimed that the courthouse is "freezing" again as part of a revenge plot against him.
"It’s very cold in there for one purpose, I believe," he said.
I'm in the room. It's slightly brisk. It's fine.
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Check it off your bingo cards, folks.
Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche, explaining why he thinks Don should be allowed to blast witness Michael Cohen, uttered the phase "Von ShitzInPants" into the court record.
It's only 10 a.m.
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bookmarking
This is highly misleading.
Here is EXACTLY what juror No. 2 said.
Because he's an investment banker, "I read basically everything," he said.
"I am on Twitter. I follow TruthSocial posts from Trump on Twitter. I do follow Michael Cohen, Mueller She Wrote, and some more."
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On the night of the 2016 election, Stormy's lawyer, Keith Davidson, texted National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard, the DA says.
"What have we done?" the text read.
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CENTRE ST — A jury of New Yorkers has convicted Donald Trump of 34 felonies.
Grateful to have been there to see the whole historic trial from start to finish.
see you around ✌️ 🔎
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Jonathan Majors’ lawyer said repeatedly that the case would come down to the credibility of his accuser, the dancer Grace Jabbari.
The jury believed Grace.
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None of the 12 jurors or 6 alternates made eye contact with Trump as the left the room just now for the lunch break.
We're back at 2 p.m. with more from Stormy Daniels.
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Donald Trump, wearing a navy blue suit, just walked into the Manhattan criminal courtroom for the start of his trial.
He was flanked by his lawyers, but not a single member of his family.
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In the room as jury selection begins in the
#JonathanMajors
assault trial.
Majors stood to introduce himself to a pool of 40 possible jurors. He clasped his hands together, nodded, and then pressed his left hand over his heart.
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breaking from the Trump trial ---
The judge is willing to work through lunch on the first two days of Passover, April 22 and 23, and end court at 2 p.m.
Great news for my mom
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Misplaced my wallet two months ago into Prospect Heights.
Today, this arrived at my apartment. All of the cash still there.
Don’t let anyone tell you that Brooklyn, New York is not the greatest place on earth
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"Am I correct that you hate Donald Trump?"
"Yes," Stormy Daniels responds.
Cross-examination begins.
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Wore a suit to the Trump trial a single time, and a woman just stopped me on the street to ask me for legal advice.
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@BKBPReynoso
Antonio, Hasidim can both preserve their way of life and give their kids a LEGALLY REQUIRED level of schooling.
Come on man. You’re supposed to represent all of Brooklyn.
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Colangelo said Trump paid Cohen double the amount of the Stormy hush money payout as part of a scheme to cover it up.
But that's suspicious, the DA said.
"The trump org was not in the business of paying people double for anything. This might be the only time that happened”
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BREAKING from the Trump trial: "The defense rests."
That means Trump will NOT testify.
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Stormy was just asked in court who she meant when she posted this.
"Oh, I absolutely meant Mr. Trump," she says.
Jurors keep their poker face though.
Exactly! Making me the best person to flush the orange turd down
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At the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president:
“You called him Dumbass Donald?"
“Sounds correct”
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Trump Manhattan trial broadcast media heat index:
@maddow
spotted in the courtroom among us reporters.
@andersoncooper
spotted on Mulberry St. near the place I like to go for a sandwich.
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breaking:
The DA's hush money case will have 20 witnesses, Trump's lawyer Susan Necheles said just now in court.
This is the first we are hearing of this.
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Two court reporters, normally dutifully taking notes, have taken center stage, speaking with thick New York accents as they do a live reading of the portions of testimony jurors requested.
only in NY
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🧵 Here are the 12 everyday Manhattanites deciding Trump's fate — and exactly what they said about him.
Juror 1 works in sales and gets news from The New York Times, Fox News and MSNBC.
Says he didn't have an "opinion at all" about Trump.
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Colangelo just wrapped, telling jurors, "Tune out the noise, focus on the facts."
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@AnfelisaSpiorad
@Terpin8or
@NACMtrader17
He didn’t check a box. He was asked to answer this question aloud. He said, “I read everything.”
I was there and backed this up with a transcript.
Just trying to help!
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from earlier in the hallway, via pooler
@benfeuerherd
:
A reporter shouted, "where's Melania?" to the former president before he started speaking. He did not respond.
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11:01 A.M:
Loud commotion in the courtroom's back row as a reporter dropped her laptop.
It did not seem to wake Trump.
He's still slumped in his chair with his eyes closed.
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Stormy Daniels just testified that Donald Trump told her not to worry about his wife Melania.
"He said, don’t worry about that, we don’t even sleep in the the same room."
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Trump has remained slumped in his chair with his eyes closed even as his lawyer lands some blows on Cohen.
Cohen has admitted today to lying to Congress, to a federal judge, and to federal investigators,
Trump has not perked up for any of this.
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“You don’t get to destroy people’s lives with your fantasies," says Priya Chaudhry in closings in the Jonathan Majors trial.
She's gesturing with a yellow highlighter.
"Grace is obviously an emotional person, but she cannot distinguish between her lies and her feelings.”
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Ok will use this thread for opening statements in Donald Trump's criminal Manhattan trial. 🍿🍿
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BLANCHE: Did you call Trump a "boorish cartoon misogynist" and a “Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain" on your podcast?
COHEN: "Sounds like something I would say."
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Donald Trump just walked into court for the gag order hearing in his hush money trial.
He was flanked by secret service agents, a few staffers, and his lawyers.
Again, none of his family members are here in support.
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BREAKING from the Jonathan Majors trial: the defense rests.
That means no testimony from Majors himself.
Closing statements tomorrow morning at 10 am.
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well, this might be the most surreal moment in new york city court history
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Co-signing.
I really shouldn't have to say this, but any workplace that values diversity shouldn't treat the commemoration the end of slavery as a second class holiday.
#WhyNotJuneteenth
?
#WhyNotJuneteenth
? Law360 honors all federal holidays — except Juneteenth. Despite vocal pushback from more than 200 Law360 employees, our parent company,
@LexisNexis
, has refused to correct this moral policy failure. Here's what they've done instead🧵:
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11:15:
Trump is awake.
Right before a secretly made recording of him speaking with Cohen is played for jurors, Trump perked up and said something to his lawyer.
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@SorokinJulia
@Terpin8or
@NACMtrader17
Also he’s not on truth social. So misleading is actually the nicest way I could put it.
Flat out wrong is another way.
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"He’s not just our former president," Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche says in his opening. "He’s a man. He’s a husband, he’s a father, and he’s a person, just like you and just like me." Trump's family is not here with him in court today.
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not even Eric, who was at his dad's side throughout the civil fraud trial.
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ok here we go.
Colangelo just read aloud Trump's "grab them by the pussy" comments from a hot mic -- a k a the Access Hollywood tape.
"The transcript depicts Donald Trump bragging about sexual assault," he said.
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@forthefacts
KD is shooting a higher FG percent than Giannis AND Embiid on mostly mid range jump shots.
AND he plays more minutes per game.
He’s the MVP if people use their eyes
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@NoahHurowitz
I love that we are not buying the NYPD’s story that the suspect tipped them off himself and that’s what led to the arrest.
I believe Zach okay. As always, I don’t trust the NYPD’s word unless they post receipts
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from the ESTEEMED Trump Trial Hallway Pool:
Trump was asked if he's "directing" surrogates to speak on his behalf.
“I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully," he answered.
The gag order bars him from "directing" others to bash jurors or witnesses.
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someone needs to watch some Law & Order…
WHY IS THE CORRUPT GOVERNMENT ALLOWED TO MAKE THE FINAL ARGUMENT IN THE CASE AGAINST ME? WHY CAN’T THE DEFENSE GO LAST? BIG ADVANTAGE, VERY UNFAIR. WITCH HUNT! DJT
Donald Trump Truth Social 06:20 PM 05/27/24
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Now we're hearing about Karen McDougal, the Playboy Playmate who says Trump had a months-long affair with her shortly after he married Melania.
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We're getting 30-ish minutes now of standard jury instruction. How trial evidence works, etc.
Trump had his eyes closed for several seconds during this, per the eagle eyed
@Kyle_Schnitzer
in the overflow room.
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We're about to hear a recording that Cohen made of a convo with Trump. It includes Trump's own voice.
Will he open his eyes and show evidence of being awake when he hears his own voice?
i will advise
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Judge Merchan has repeatedly reprimanded Todd Blanche for cutting him off.
Blanche is speaking in a high-pitched voice, and speaking very fast.
Judge is losing patience.
"I'm asking the questions, okay?" he says. Tells Blanche to "stop turning it around."
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"Mr Trump desperately did not want this information about Karen McDougal to become public because he was concerned about its impact on the election," the DA says.
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quick court vibes report:
It's a crisp sunny day outside, but from inside this drab courtroom, you could not tell. There are shades over the windows. 11 florescent lights hang from the ceiling.
Without a watch or phone, it would be very hard to tell what time it is.
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The judge and lawyers for each side are now in the back huddling with one of the jurors, who has expressed "concern" about whether they are willing to stay on, given all of the media attention.
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Trump political adviser
@TheStevenCheung
was just kicked out of the Manhattan defamation trial after his phone went off.
"Take this man out of here," Judge Lewis Kaplan said after Cheung's iPhone alarm sounded at 1 p.m.
A court officer then escorted him out.
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Donald Trump has been fined $9,000 for breaching a court order by blasting witnesses and jurors at his hush money trial.
Trump had claimed he was merely "reposting" things.
But Judge Merchan says, essentially, that retweets are endorsements.
It's "common sense," he writes.
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A New York appeals court just ruled that Trump's judge "properly" barred him from ripping jurors and witnesses.
Trump posed a "significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses in this case as well," they say.
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Trump's eyes are closed now and he's leaning back in his chair, but he definitely awake today.
Wild that I have to write this about a defendant in court.
He just said something to lawyer Todd Blanche, who then smiled.
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"This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a coverup," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo says to kick things off. "The defendant orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 election, and then he covered up the scheme, by lying in his business records, over and over again."
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“Turns out that’s not the judge’s son….it’s this guy!”
Cut to…this guy.
Thanks to
@LESTRENTtv
@trevormail
and
@InsideEdition
for including me in tonight’s show. 🫡
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Trump Trial late lunch blog, day 15:
Wo Hop, of course .
Friday News dump…lings.
Also noodles
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Ok, here's what I can say:
Trump is either sleeping, or he's showing a lot of discipline in keeping his eyes closed for close to a half hour now, at least, while Cohen testifies.
The jury is awake.
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DAY 15 at Trump's hush money trial:
Jeanine Pirro just handed me a cough drop.
We're back.
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I am prepared to moderate a presidential debate in the Manhattan criminal court’s hallway.
Let me know…
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After perking up at the start of cross-examination, Trump has slumped deep into his chair again with his eyes closed.
I'm observed a couple of head jerks. Eyes still closed though.
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Jurors on day 19 of Trump's fudging business records trial seem to be a little fatigued as Michael Cohen's cross-examination drags on into a third day, though possibly I am what some would call "projecting"
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"This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a coverup," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo says to kick things off. "The defendant orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 election, and then he covered up the scheme, by lying in his business records, over and over again."
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Three prospective jurors said they could not be impartial after seeing video of Majors' accuser dancing at the club hours after the alleged attack.
You can read more about that here:
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@jackhealyNYT
@nytimes
Jack he reads "basically everything," it's in the transcript.
Everybody calm down! Guy seems like he'll take the case seriously and decide on the facts.
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OK now we are hearing from Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche.
"President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan district attorney’s office should have never brought this case."
"He is cloaked in innocence," he adds.
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Trump just exploded on the stand.
"He called me a fraud and he didn't know anything about me!" Trump says, pointing at the judge.
"The fraud is on the court and not on me," he added during a minute-long rant.
"You done?" the AG's atty said.
"I'm done," Trump replied.
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