37 Comments
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Dave Conant - MO's avatar

Thanks TC and thanks to Judge Middlebrooks. It's rare for a legal opinion to be interesting reading but you made it a page-turner. Have a great weekend.

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Michael Green's avatar

If Orange Hitler's lawyer is not the subject of disbarment proceedings, then clearly we need to go back to square one with the American Bar Association and state organizations.

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T L Mills's avatar

Well, hot dang! I like this Judge Middlebrook--finally, someone willing to call out drumpf's legal shenanigans for what they clearly are--frivolous and without legal merit. Drumpf's sophisticated but meritless maneuverings were no doubt learned at the knees of Daddy drumpf and Roy Cohn.

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David Levine's avatar

it's obvious that Judge Middlebrooks had a really good time writing this. I've read a fair number of briefs, and it really IS possible to introduce all kinds of stylistic niceties. it's just that it doesn't usually happen. but if you poke the bear enough times, he's gonna give you a little swipe, just to teach you a lesson. sometimes that one swipe will take off the head of the one who did the poking.

this brief is a wonderful example of that phenomenon.

"prolific and sophisticated litigant." lovely phrase. there are so many in this decision.

and since we're talking about the courts, how fucking pathetic was that SCOTUS probe that didn't do any probing? rhetorical question again...

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TCinLA's avatar

They wanted an "investigation." they didn't say anything about "successful."

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David Levine's avatar

point well taken.

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Mim Eisenberg (NYer now in GA)'s avatar

Many thanks for making me chortle, Tom. You painted a marvelous picture of Judge Middlebrooks stepping up to the plate with his lead-tipped Louisville Slugger and hitting the case out of the park.

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Gail Adams VA/FL's avatar

Hearing about this today made me positively giddy. The old rhino got his a** beaten. May they keep coming.

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Bliss Grey's avatar

a**beaten was a far superior laugh than the fine.

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Karen Herman (AR)'s avatar

TC, thanks for this riveting explication of Judge Middlebrooks' ruling. For a non-lawyer you did a great job of cutting through the 40 plus pages of the ruling to get to the bottom line and even added some humorous comments. I hope this is the first of many such rulings against tfg.

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Ben - MD, VA, NE Florida.'s avatar

Dear freakin' gawd, TC, that's hilarious!

Made my day, and I had read numerous takes on this nonsense already.

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JDinTX's avatar

Me too, but TC tells the good, the bad, the ugly, and the hilarious

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Ben - MD, VA, NE Florida.'s avatar

That's what I meant. It wasn't so funny until I read tc's take. He made it fun all over again.

TC stomps Trump like few can.

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Grover Zinn's avatar

Thanks for the excerpts and commentary Judge middlebrooks didn’t pull any punches. Would like to think they’ll be widely reported. Probably won’t be but trump will be quoted I’m sure.

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Grover Zinn's avatar

How will we know if the money is actually paid!

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Judith Matlock's avatar

Watch for Trump to amp up his sales of Trump trash to his "uneducated" and supremely gullible fans. The question is what is the deadline for payment.

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Judith Swink (CA)'s avatar

Does the Court require that payment of the fines be reported to the Court? Agree that I'd like to know if there's a deadline or time frame within which the fines must be paid.

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TCinLA's avatar

Yes, he can't wave off these.

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JDinTX's avatar

More laugh out loud time than I get anywhere else. Thanks!

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Pat Ebervein's avatar

Reading this felt SO GOOD!!! Great way to start a weekend - thanks!

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OutofhellTx's avatar

Read every word. Took much longer than it should have due to stopping and re-reading many times, thinking: No way a federal judge wrote that! Must be TC is actually saying that; sounds like TCinLA. Good job TC but Judge Middlebrookes gave you a lot to work with!

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TCinLA's avatar

He did indeed!

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Dennis M. Sienkiewicz's avatar

Now let’s see trump ante up the $$$…we should expect another whining session on “Truth” Social and another plea for money from his MAGAt base.

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Andrea Haynes's avatar

And begging people to buy his digital trading cards. "Send me the money. Pleeeeeeese!"

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TCinLA's avatar

He's run through those so he'll have to find a new scam.

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Andrea Haynes's avatar

Poor guy. Maybe he will soon be all scammed out. Or not?

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Bliss Grey's avatar

What can a person possibly do with a digital trading card?

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TCinLA's avatar

You got me!

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Susan Lorraine Knox's avatar

Maybe Putin will help out.

I'd love to see Putin pay.

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Lucian K. Truscott IV's avatar

Good one.

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Simone Maclellan's avatar

El Jefe del Merde A Loco.... pure poetry!

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Victoria Brown's avatar

Thank you, Tom for this great read! I

am just so impressed with this judge and smacking Trump and this

attorney down! Louisville Slugger! Yes! Made my day!👍

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