Trump's Legal Team Faces Doubts as Sentencing Nears

As former President Donald Trump's legal team prepares for his sentencing hearing, legal experts speculate on their confidence in the team's strategy ahead of the Republican National Convention.

As attorneys for former President Donald Trump work behind the scenes on an appeal following his conviction in the New York v. Trump trial, legal observers have raised concerns about the lack of urgency from Trump's lawyers in seeking federal intervention.

Legal analyst Phil Holloway questioned the absence of an effort by Trump's team to stay the looming sentencing, highlighting the extraordinary circumstances of the case and the potential disruption to the federal electoral process. Holloway believes a stay is necessary to prevent a disruption of the Republican National Convention, scheduled just four days after the sentencing hearing.

"Every American citizen has an interest in being able to vote for the candidate of their choice in a presidential election. So we're not talking about a normal and customary kind of an appeal," Holloway said. "It's unheard of in American jurisprudence."

Another legal analyst, David Gelman, echoed Holloway's concerns, citing the Bush v. Gore case where the Supreme Court ruled that Florida did not need to complete a recount in the 2000 presidential election. Gelman suggested that the Trump case could be considered of "national importance," warranting intervention by the Supreme Court or lower federal courts.

Holloway emphasized the significance of the Republican convention timing in Trump's attorneys' strategy. According to Holloway, the federal courts may view the issue differently if Trump is the actual nominee rather than a presumptive nominee. A significant restriction on his personal liberty could impact the election, Holloway asserted.

However, Holloway acknowledged that the Manhattan-based Appellate Division may not be the best venue for the appeal, suggesting that it could be filed with the state Appellate Division of New York or even the Supreme Court.

Both Holloway and Gelman expressed skepticism about the performance of Trump's attorneys throughout the Manhattan trial. They cited the disadvantageous trial venue in New York City and Judge Juan Merchan's refusal to recuse himself despite donations to President Biden's campaign.

Despite these concerns, Gelman believes that Trump's attorneys, Todd Blanche, Emil Bove, and Susan Necheles, did an "outstanding job with the facts that were given." Gelman highlighted the challenges of questioning witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, who expressed a desire to see Trump in jail.

Gelman further criticized the judge's handling of objections, claiming that the prosecution's objections were sustained while Trump's team's objections were overruled.

While Holloway acknowledged that calling Robert Costello, Michael Cohen's legal adviser, may have backfired due to the judge's restrictions, he maintained that Trump's attorneys faced significant challenges. Holloway noted the difficult jurisdiction, tough judge, and hostile jury pool.

Ultimately, the appeal's success and the actions of Trump's legal team will be closely watched as the sentencing hearing and Republican National Convention approach.