Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg was remarkably quick to do an endzone dance in the wake of former President Donald Trump being convicted on 34 felony charges he brought against him.
But as many have pointed out, Bragg may want to hold off on too much celebration, as there's a strong chance, according to legal experts, that Trump will ultimately prevail in the appeals process.
According to The Hill, legal scholar Jonathan Turley laid out why he believes Bragg's convictions will not stand the test of time in the appeals courts.
He wrote a piece for the outlet titled, "Bragg’s thrill kill in Manhattan could prove short-lived on appeal."
Turley held nothing back in his assessment of the outcome of the case, noting that while the media and Bragg, and Democrats of course, celebrated the "thrill kill" aspect of finally "getting Trump," such feelings could be short-lived.
"The celebrants would be wise to think twice before mounting this trophy kill on the political wall. The Trump trial is a target-rich environment for an appeal, with multiple layers of reversible error, in my view," Turley wrote.
The Hill is out with my column on some of the most compelling grounds for appeal after the Trump verdict. The Trump trial is a target-rich environment for an appeal, with multiple layers of reversible error. I divide them into four groups. https://t.co/Yi041tgkeo
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) June 1, 2024
While many, including Trump, blamed the heavily Democrat-leaning jury for the outcome of the verdict, Turley believes it's much deeper than that.
"I am less convinced by suggestions that the case could be challenged on the inability of Trump receiving a fair trial in a district that voted roughly 90 percent against him. The problem was not the jury, but the prosecutors and the judge," Turley wrote.
Turley then divided the problems with the case, in his opinion, into four groups.
First on the list is the judge, who Turley believes was "handpicked" for the case. His obviously political leanings, including previous donations to President Joe Biden, have been a source of controversy.
Turley also argued, like many others, that the charges were weak, to say the least. The DOJ previously refused to prosecute Trump on the charges, and Turley said Bragg intentionally twisted the charges and tried them at a state level.
The legal scholar also said "Judge Merchan allowed a torrent of immaterial and prejudicial evidence to be introduced into the trial by the prosecution," and was heavily one-sided in what he allowed as far as evidence was concerned.
Finally, Turley wrote that the bizarre and unheard of jury instructions pretty much ruled out the possibility of a hung jury. Turley believes, and many hope he's right that the appeals process will see all of this and reverse every charge.
