And we’re off…

Court has been in session for roughly an hour in Donald Trump’s criminal trial, but that first hour was dedicated to various procedural rulings from the judge. Now the opening arguments are underway, with the prosecution going first – and it’s a doozy.

The prosecution opened the trial by saying that “This case is about a criminal conspiracy. Trump orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election, then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again.”

This opening statement is notable because it establishes that Trump committed a crime against the law, and that he committed that crime with the intent of altering the outcome of a presidential election in his favor. This underscores the seriousness of Trump’s actions and of his intended consequences.

Criminal trials rest on a lot more than just the opening arguments. But as day one goes, the prosecution is off to quite a strong start. When you have all the evidence and all the witnesses on your side, your job is to connect them all together properly in the eyes of the jury – and that’s what Alvin Bragg’s team is looking to do.