Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer tells court awarding millions of dollars in damages would be like ‘death penalty’ for his client – live

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Giuliani’s lawyer says awarding as much as $43m in damages could be ‘dying penalty’ for consumer

Sam Levine

Extra from the Guardian’s Sam Levine on opening assertion from Giuliani’s lawyer.

A jury resolution awarding tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in damages for defamation could be a “dying penalty” for Rudy Giuliani, his lawyer stated throughout opening statements in a trial that bought underway Monday.

Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss are in search of between $15m and $43m in compensatory and punitive damages after Giuliani made false statements about them after the 2020 election. “When you award them what they’re asking for, it will likely be the tip of Mr Giuliani,” Joseph Sibley, Giuliani’s legal professional stated. Giuliani’s monetary difficulties amid mounting authorized troubles have been widely reported.

He acknowledged throughout his assertion that Moss and Freeman have been harmed and didn’t deserve the vile harassment they suffered after the 2020 election. However, he stated, Giuliani was indirectly liable for it.

The first witness is now off the stand and jurors have been dismissed for the day. We’re now closing the blog but here is a recap of what happened today:

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The federal trial to determine how much Rudy Giuliani will pay in damages began on Monday. Giuliani was found liable for defamation for false comments he made about two Georgia election workers after the 2020 election.

Eight jurors were seated in Giuliani’s defamation case. Jurors were asked several questions, including,“Do you believe that Joseph R Biden’s election as president of the United States in 2020 was illegitimate?” and “Have you ever used the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” or the term or hashtag “WWG1WGA”?

Giuliani knowingly spread lies about two Atlanta election workers as “as a cornerstone of a call to action” to overturn the 2020 election, Von DuBose, a lawyer representing Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss said in his opening statement on Monday. He also said the case was about “names that have been disgraced”.

The plaintiffs have asked for damages between $15m and $43m. Giuliani’s attorney said awarding them this level of payout would be like the “death penalty” for his client. He added that “it will be the end of Mr Giuliani”.

Special counsel prosecutors asked the US supreme court on Monday to make an expedited decision on if Donald Trump can be criminally prosecuted on federal charges over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

Opening statements in Giuliani’sdefamation case were heard today. The lawyer for the claimants argued that the case was ‘about names that have been disgraced’. Meanwhile, Giuliani’s lawyers argued that awarding tens of millions of dollars in damages for defamation would be a “death penalty” for the ex-Trump lawyer.

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You can read our latest full report on Giuliani’s trial here:

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And here’s our latest on Trump’s federal election interference case:

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Thank you for reading! See you for more updates tomorrow.

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Lawyers for Freeman and Moss filed the case in Washington DC because it involves a dispute between citizens of different states and because Giuliani “made defamatory statements that were produced and published in the District of Columbia”. The decision to hold the case in Washington DC is also of strategic advantage to Moss and Freeman because the jury pool is extremely unlikely to be friendly to Trump (the city voted for Biden 93-5 in 2020). Giuliani is likely to use that context to assail any adverse verdict in the case.

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The harassment of Freeman and Moss represents the best example of the human consequences of the lies Giuliani and other Trump allies spread after the election. Their lies have fueled a deep-seated distrust of American elections and prompted a wave of harassment since 2020 against election officials and workers – many of whom are leaving the profession. The trial offers a chance for two of the most prominent victims of election denialism to confront one of its biggest propagators.

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Second, the case offers another significant attempt to hold a key actor accountable for spreading lies about the 2020 election. It is part of a suite of efforts, including the criminal charges Giuliani and others face in Georgia and the $787m settlement between Fox and the voting machine equipment vendor Dominion, seeking to bring consequences to those who told election lies.

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Regina Scott, a security expert with the firm Jensen Hughes, is up as the first witness in the defamation case seeking up to $43m from former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani after he defamed two Atlanta election workers.

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Scott has monitored online threats and overseen the team handling security for Moss and Freeman. She is slated to testify about social media monitoring and negative commentary about Moss and Freeman since November of last year. She is currently being questioned by Von DuBose, one of Freeman and Moss’s lawyers.

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Rudy Giuliani knowingly spread lies about two Atlanta election workers as “as a cornerstone of a call to action” to overturn the 2020 election, Von DuBose, a lawyer representing the women said in his opening statement on Monday.

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Shortly after beginning his argument, DuBose played vile text messages Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss received after the 2020 election, which included death threats, racial slurs and wishes that the two women would go to jail. DuBose and the other lawyers for the two women are seeking to convince an eight-person jury that they should award Freeman and Moss anywhere between $15.5m and $43m in damages.

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Previewing the evidence, he said jurors can expect to hear from Freeman about how people started showing up at her home in the middle of the night and ringing the doorbell and how she fled for her safety.

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“The home she had lived in for more than 20 years – put her home on the market and left. Went to a place where no one could trace her name,” he said.

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And he said Moss would detail she humiliation she felt as she looked for a new job.

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She will testify about a job interview at the fast-food restaurant Chick-fil-A where an interviewer pulled up an article about Moss accusing her of election fraud and asked if it was her. Moss, he said, put down her head and walked out.

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More from the Guardian’s Sam Levine on opening statement from Giuliani’s lawyer.

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A jury decision awarding tens of millions of dollars in damages for defamation would be a “death penalty” for Rudy Giuliani, his lawyer said during opening statements in a trial that got underway Monday.

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Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss are seeking between $15m and $43m in compensatory and punitive damages after Giuliani made false statements about them after the 2020 election. “If you award them what they are asking for, it will be the end of Mr Giuliani,” Joseph Sibley, Giuliani’s attorney said. Giuliani’s financial difficulties amid mounting legal troubles have been widely reported.

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He acknowledged during his statement that Moss and Freeman were harmed and didn’t deserve the vile harassment they suffered after the 2020 election. But, he said, Giuliani was not directly responsible for it.

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Opening statements in Rudy Giuliani’s damages trial have started.

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The weeklong trial will decide the amount of damages he will pay after being found liable for defamation.

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From the Guardian’s Sam Levine:

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“What’s in a name? Power purpose pride,” Von DuBose, a lawyer representing Freeman and Moss opened his statements. “It’s about names that have been disgraced…two names in particular. Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. It’s about what their names mean today versus before Mr. Giuliani engaged in the conduct at issue in this case.”

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Special counsel prosecutors asked the US supreme court on Monday to make an expedited decision on whether Donald Trump can be criminally prosecuted on federal charges over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

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The move comes after the federal judge overseeing the case rejected Trump’s arguments that he has absolute immunity from prosecution for acts that occurred while he was president.

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Trump challenged the ruling to the DC circuit, but special counsel Jack Smith is now attempting to bypass the appeals court completely by asking the nation’s highest court to decide the matter.

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BREAKING: Special Counsel asks Supreme Court for an expedited decision on the presidential immunity claim Trump has advanced in the federal 2020 election case https://t.co/aHdNThvciE pic.twitter.com/YfDgeaxWUj

— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) December 11, 2023

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My colleague Sam Levine is at the trial and reports that eight jurors have now been seated in the case.

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They will have to determine how much Giuliani should pay in damages to two Atlanta election workers he defamed after the 2020 election:

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The jury (8 jurors) have been seated in a Washington DC defamation case to determine how much in damages Rudy Giuliani should pay to two Atlanta election workers he defamed after the 2020 election

— Sam Levine (@srl) December 11, 2023

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According to Politico reporter Josh Gerstein, opening arguments are set for 1.30pm ET:

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UPDATE: 8-person jury seated in Giuliani defamation trial. Openings expected at 130PM

— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) December 11, 2023

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Rudy Giuliani has taken his seat in a federal courtroom in Washington where jury selection is about to begin in a weeklong trial to determine how much in damages he should have to pay two Atlanta election workers he defamed last year.

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The former New York City mayor could pay anywhere between $15m and $43m in damages to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, a mother and daughter he spread false lies about them after the election.

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Included in the questions potential jurors will be asked is “Do you believe that Joseph R Biden’s election as president of the United States in 2020 was illegitimate?” and “Have you ever used the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” or the term or hashtag “WWG1WGA”?

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Opening statements in the trial are expected this afternoon. The trial is expected to wrap up by Friday.

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Rudy Giuliani will be defending himself in federal court on Monday against a defamation lawsuit filed against him for false comments he made about two Georgia election workers after the 2020 election.

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The week-long trial starting Monday in Washington DC will be to determine how much Giuliani will pay in damages for inflammatory remarks he made against Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss, two Black election workers in Fulton county.

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Giuliani is expected to testify in his defense.

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While serving as head of Trump’s legal team, Giuliani falsely claimed that Freeman and Moss counted 2020 election ballots after tallying had wrapped, sharing misleading security video that was later debunked by Georgia election officials.

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Freeman and Moss say they faced death threats following Giuliani’s comments, and strangers came to Freeman’s house to enact a “citizen’s arrest”.

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Giuliani has already been found liable of defamation in August. The latest trial is to determine how much Giuliani will pay in damages, with Freeman and Moss seeking between $15m and $43.5m in damages.

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Jury selection and opening statements for the damages trial are expected today.

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Here’s what else is happening:

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Biden is traveling to Philadelphia on Monday to announce a federal grant for the city’s fire department.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy will arrive in the US for a last-ditch attempt to break a deadlock on Ukraine aid.

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Closing abstract

The primary witness is now off the stand and jurors have been dismissed for the day. We’re now closing the weblog however here’s a recap of what occurred in the present day:

The federal trial to find out how a lot Rudy Giuliani pays in damages started on Monday. Giuliani was discovered chargeable for defamation for false feedback he made about two Georgia election staff after the 2020 election.
Eight jurors have been seated in Giuliani’s defamation case. Jurors have been requested a number of questions, together with,“Do you imagine that Joseph R Biden’s election as president of the USA in 2020 was illegitimate?” and “Have you ever ever used the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” or the time period or hashtag “WWG1WGA”?
Giuliani knowingly unfold lies about two Atlanta election staff as “as a cornerstone of a name to motion” to overturn the 2020 election, Von DuBose, a lawyer representing Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss stated in his opening assertion on Monday. He additionally stated the case was about “names which have been disgraced”.
The plaintiffs have requested for damages between $15m and $43m. Giuliani’s legal professional stated awarding them this degree of payout could be just like the “dying penalty” for his consumer. He added that “it will likely be the tip of Mr Giuliani”.
Particular counsel prosecutors requested the US supreme court docket on Monday to make an expedited resolution on if Donald Trump may be criminally prosecuted on federal expenses over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election outcomes.
Opening statements in Giuliani’sdefamation case have been heard in the present day. The lawyer for the claimants argued that the case was ‘about names which have been disgraced’. In the meantime, Giuliani’s attorneys argued that awarding tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in damages for defamation could be a “dying penalty” for the ex-Trump lawyer.

You may learn our newest full report on Giuliani’s trial right here:

And right here’s our newest on Trump’s federal election interference case:

Thanks for studying! See you for extra updates tomorrow.

Joseph Sibley, Giuliani’s lawyer is urgent Regina Scott on the precise {qualifications} she and her agency should put collectively a report assessing on-line threats in opposition to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.

The aim of his questioning seems to undermine analyses her agency did on the quantity of threats Freeman and Moss confronted after the 2020 election.

US district decide Beryl Howell has been affected person with Sibley to date, however seems to be dropping a few of her tolerance. The primary day of the trial is scheduled to wrap up in about 20 minutes.

Why is the case happening in a Washington DC courtroom?

Sam Levine

Legal professionals for Freeman and Moss filed the case in Washington DC as a result of it includes a dispute between residents of various states and since Giuliani “made defamatory statements that have been produced and printed within the District of Columbia”. The choice to carry the case in Washington DC can be of strategic benefit to Moss and Freeman as a result of the jury pool is extraordinarily unlikely to be pleasant to Trump (town voted for Biden 93-5 in 2020). Giuliani is probably going to make use of that context to assail any antagonistic verdict within the case.

Why is that this case essential?

Sam Levine

The harassment of Freeman and Moss represents the perfect instance of the human penalties of the lies Giuliani and different Trump allies unfold after the election. Their lies have fueled a deep-seated mistrust of American elections and prompted a wave of harassment since 2020 in opposition to election officers and staff – lots of whom are leaving the career. The trial affords an opportunity for 2 of probably the most outstanding victims of election denialism to confront one in every of its greatest propagators.

Second, the case affords one other important try to carry a key actor accountable for spreading lies in regards to the 2020 election. It’s a part of a collection of efforts, together with the felony expenses Giuliani and others face in Georgia and the $787m settlement between Fox and the voting machine tools vendor Dominion, in search of to carry penalties to those that instructed election lies.

Safety professional Regina Scott referred to as as first witness

Sam Levine

Regina Scott, a safety professional with the agency Jensen Hughes, is up as the primary witness within the defamation case in search of as much as $43m from former New York Metropolis mayor Rudy Giuliani after he defamed two Atlanta election staff.

Scott has monitored on-line threats and overseen the staff dealing with safety for Moss and Freeman. She is slated to testify about social media monitoring and adverse commentary about Moss and Freeman since November of final 12 months. She is presently being questioned by Von DuBose, one in every of Freeman and Moss’s attorneys.

Learn extra on Giuliani’s monetary troubles because the trial to resolve the quantity he pays in damages continues, from ABC Information.

A deluge of civil and felony lawsuits has left Giuliani experiencing what his legal professional referred to as “monetary difficulties.”

The dual threats of potential authorized publicity and an obvious depletion of assets may proceed to compound within the months and maybe years forward, because the onetime legal professional to former President Donald Trump battles the fallout from his activities within the wake of the 2020 presidential election.

Subsequent week, a Washington, D.C.-based jury will decide what penalties Giuliani will owe a pair of Georgia election staff he was discovered to have defamed. He’s already on the hook for some $230,000, and the election staff are in search of between $15 million and $43 million at trial.

Giuliani stands to owe tens of millions extra if he loses circumstances introduced by two voting machine corporations and his personal longtime private legal professional, and he faces an unrelated sexual harassment swimsuit for $10 million from a former enterprise affiliate.

In October, President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden also sued Giuliani for unspecified damages, accusing him of mishandling private information belonging to him.

Learn the complete article here.

Giuliani unfold lies about Atlanta election staff as ‘cornerstone of name to motion’ to overturn election, DuBose says

Sam Levine

Rudy Giuliani knowingly unfold lies about two Atlanta election staff as “as a cornerstone of a name to motion” to overturn the 2020 election, Von DuBose, a lawyer representing the ladies stated in his opening assertion on Monday.

Shortly after starting his argument, DuBose performed vile textual content messages Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss acquired after the 2020 election, which included dying threats, racial slurs and desires that the 2 girls would go to jail. DuBose and the opposite attorneys for the 2 girls are in search of to persuade an eight-person jury that they need to award Freeman and Moss wherever between $15.5m and $43m in damages.

Previewing the proof, he stated jurors can anticipate to listen to from Freeman about how individuals began displaying up at her dwelling in the course of the night time and ringing the doorbell and the way she fled for her security.

“The house she had lived in for greater than 20 years – put her dwelling available on the market and left. Went to a spot the place nobody may hint her identify,” he stated.

And he stated Moss would element she humiliation she felt as she regarded for a brand new job.

She is going to testify a couple of job interview on the fast-food restaurant Chick-fil-A the place an interviewer pulled up an article about Moss accusing her of election fraud and requested if it was her. Moss, he stated, put down her head and walked out.

Giuliani’s lawyer says awarding as much as $43m in damages could be ‘dying penalty’ for consumer

Sam Levine

Extra from the Guardian’s Sam Levine on opening assertion from Giuliani’s lawyer.

Giuliani’s lawyer is now delivering opening statements, arguing that awarding Freeman and Moss damages could be the “finish” of Giuliani.

The plaintiffs are asking the jury to set damages between $15m and $43.5m as punishment for Giuliani’s “outrageous conduct”.

From the Guardian’s Sam Levine.

New: Rudy Giuliani's lawyer says in opening assertion that awarding plaintiffs damages sought in defamation case could be the "dying penalty" for the previous NYC mayor. "When you award them what they’re asking for, it will likely be the tip of Mr. Giuliani," he stated.

— Sam Levine (@srl) December 11, 2023

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New: Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer says in opening assertion that awarding plaintiffs damages sought in defamation case could be the “dying penalty” for the previous NYC mayor. “When you award them what they’re asking for, it will likely be the tip of Mr. Giuliani,” he stated.

— Sam Levine (@srl) December 11, 2023

Sam Levine

The Guardian’s Sam Levine recapped a short dialog he had with Giuliani, because the trial to resolve the damages quantity continues.

I briefly spoke with Rudy Giuliani after a lunch break within the proceedings. I requested him what it was wish to be within the courtroom with Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who’ve described the horrific harassment they endured after he made false statements about them in 2020.

Giuliani declined to remark, however stated his staff had a couple of surprises for the week lengthy trial.

Spoke briefly with Mayor Giuliani within the courtroom hallway and requested him how he was feeling in regards to the defamation case. He declined to remark however stated “we’ve a couple of surprises for them”

— Sam Levine (@srl) December 11, 2023

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Spoke briefly with Mayor Giuliani within the courtroom hallway and requested him how he was feeling in regards to the defamation case. He declined to remark however stated “we’ve a couple of surprises for them”

— Sam Levine (@srl) December 11, 2023

He spent lunch within the middle of the cafeteria within the federal courthouse right here together with his spokesman, Ted Goodman, and his lawyer, Joseph Sibley.

In opening statements, attorneys for Freeman and Moss performed vile voicemails the ladies acquired following Giuliani’s defamatory statements.

The voicemails included racial slurs and threats to burn down Freeman’s enterprise.

From the Guardian’s Sam Levine:

Attorneys for Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss start opening statements to the jury by taking part in vile voicemails the ladies acquired after 2020 election, together with racial slurs, threats to burn down Freeman's retailer, and warning them they have been going to jail.

— Sam Levine (@srl) December 11, 2023

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Attorneys for Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss start opening statements to the jury by taking part in vile voicemails the ladies acquired after 2020 election, together with racial slurs, threats to burn down Freeman’s retailer, and warning them they have been going to jail.

— Sam Levine (@srl) December 11, 2023

Rudy Giuliani case is ‘about names which have been disgraced’, says lawyer for claimants

Opening statements in Rudy Giuliani’s damages trial have began.

The weeklong trial will resolve the quantity of damages he pays after being discovered chargeable for defamation.

From the Guardian’s Sam Levine:

“What’s in a reputation? Energy function pleasure,” Von DuBose, a lawyer representing Freeman and Moss opened his statements. “It’s about names which have been disgraced…two names particularly. Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. It’s about what their names imply in the present day versus earlier than Mr. Giuliani engaged within the conduct at problem on this case.”

Here’s a hyperlink to Smith’s petition to the supreme court docket, from the Guardian’s Hugo Lowell:

BREAKING: Particular Counsel asks Supreme Court docket for an expedited resolution on the presidential immunity declare Trump has superior within the federal 2020 election case https://t.co/aHdNThvciE pic.twitter.com/YfDgeaxWUj

— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) December 11, 2023

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The earliest the supreme court docket may resolve on Smith’s petition over Trump’s immunity declare could be 5 January, the Related Press studies.

Right here’s extra from AP:

The earliest court docket would think about the attraction could be Jan. 5, the date of the justices’ subsequent scheduled non-public convention.

Underscoring the urgency for prosecutors in securing a fast decision that may push the case ahead, they wrote: “It’s of crucial public significance that respondent’s claims of immunity be resolved by this Court docket and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as attainable if his declare of immunity is rejected.”

The transfer from Jack Smith, the particular counsel, comes after the prosecutor warned that Trump’s trial might be indefinitely delayed as Trump claims he’s immune from prosecution, Politico reports.

Smith wrote in court docket paperwork that Trump’s attraction to decrease courts on immunity query would droop his trial, scheduled for 4 March.

In a 14-page petition to the court docket, Smith wrote: “The US acknowledges that that is a unprecedented request. That is a unprecedented case”.

The newest replace comes as after a federal decide rejected Trump’s claims on Friday that he ought to obtain immunity for actions he did whereas nonetheless president.

Choose Tanya Chutkan concurrently denied two motions from Tump for dismissal, which set the chance for Trump to attraction the choice with the DC circuit court docket and, later, the US supreme court docket.

Prosecutors are asking the supreme court docket to resolve on the query with the intention to get an expedited resolution on the authorized matter.

Supreme court docket requested to rule on Trump immunity declare for federal election case

Hugo Lowell

Particular counsel prosecutors requested the US supreme court docket on Monday to make an expedited resolution on whether or not Donald Trump may be criminally prosecuted on federal expenses over his efforts to overturn the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election.

The transfer comes after the federal decide overseeing the case rejected Trump’s arguments that he has absolute immunity from prosecution for acts that occurred whereas he was president.

Trump challenged the ruling to the DC circuit, however particular counsel Jack Smith is now trying to bypass the appeals court docket fully by asking the nation’s highest court docket to resolve the matter.

— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) December 11, 2023

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Eight jurors seated in Giuliani defamation case

My colleague Sam Levine is on the trial and studies that eight jurors have now been seated within the case.

They must decide how a lot Giuliani ought to pay in damages to 2 Atlanta election staff he defamed after the 2020 election:

The jury (8 jurors) have been seated in a Washington DC defamation case to find out how a lot in damages Rudy Giuliani ought to pay to 2 Atlanta election staff he defamed after the 2020 election

— Sam Levine (@srl) December 11, 2023

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The jury (8 jurors) have been seated in a Washington DC defamation case to find out how a lot in damages Rudy Giuliani ought to pay to 2 Atlanta election staff he defamed after the 2020 election

— Sam Levine (@srl) December 11, 2023

In keeping with Politico reporter Josh Gerstein, opening arguments are set for 1.30pm ET:

UPDATE: 8-person jury seated in Giuliani defamation trial. Openings anticipated at 130PM

— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) December 11, 2023

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