Indictment city
Will Jack Smith finally indict Donald Trump? According to some legal experts, yes. NBC News reported over the weekend that Smith’s grand jury is scheduled to reconvene sometime this week for the purpose, according to legal experts, of voting on an indictment. They, of course, don’t know for sure, but experts do know how these things work. Glenn Kirschner, one of the most outspoken experts about Trump’s legal woes, believes that the classified documents case is on “indictment watch.” How does Kirschner know this? From experience.
Kirschner has presented many cases before grand juries. He claims that the timeline in the classified documents case “lines up” with the belief that the next step is an indictment. The last witness in the case testified over a month ago, and Kirschner said that prosecutors typically “take a break” between presentation of evidence, preparation of an outline for the jury, and reconvening for a vote. The media has recently been talking about the investigation being close to wrapping up or that Jack Smith’s investigation seems to be at or near completion. Harry Litman, a senior legal columnist for the Los Angeles Times, tweeted over the weekend: “The obvious inference-not the only one but the most obvious-is they’re reconvening to vote on an indictment. Fasten your seat belts.” Could this really, finally be happening?
People who don’t know how criminal investigations work have wondered whether Jack Smith is doing anything at all, but those with knowledge of criminal procedure do know how these processes work. Given that Smith is possibly indicting a former president and present candidate for president, he obviously needs to have his proverbial ducks in a row. That means he needs to take his time, ensure that his evidence is solid, and most importantly, be sure that the charges will stick. All those things take time, including reviewing evidence-over and again if necessary-and careful consideration of that evidence and what it means.
Others have added their own speculation, including CNN’s legal analyst Norm Eisen and progressive political adviser Dante Atkins, who tweeted: “Smells like indictments.” These people are not merely hoping like the rest of us; they are relying on their knowledge and experience. Reports of the audio tape last week didn’t help Trump, who, of course, denies knowledge of the tape, but according to the Independent, the DOJ not only believes the validity of the tape, but they requested that Trump’s attorneys produce the document mentioned in the tape. The Independent reported that the attorneys “did not find the document” among the materials they turned over, which means the whereabouts of that document remains unknown. Perhaps if they indict Trump, he will cough it up, but don’t count on it. He continues to claim his innocence.
Donald Trump is anything but innocent. He took classified materials to his home, knowing that he had no authority to do so. If he’s holding onto any of those documents, now would be a good time to use them to try to save his neck.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years