24 min ago
Trump’s team will once again call for a mistrial
By MICHAEL R. SISAK (AP)

Before breaking for lunch, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told Merchan that the defense plans to renew its call for a mistrial based on Daniels’ testimony. Blanche also said they will seek to prevent former Playboy model Karen McDougal from testifying and that they will make further arguments pertaining to the gag order.

Merchan said he would send the jury home at 4 p.m. and subsequently take up the defense’s arguments.

Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction in New York court got overturned on appeal because of all of the "bad acts" evidence that the judge there let in. Here, this isn't even a rape case, it's a falsified docs case with intent to interfere in the 2016 election, but Stormy Daniels was able to testify that she felt physically forced into sex with Trumpie. I did not find that testimony at all persuasive, but that is not the point. The point is that the prosecution did not have to call Daniels and they did; they called her and then she gave surprise, irrelevant, potentially inflaming testimony on force that clearly was prejudicial to the defendant's rights. I thought Justice Merchan should have granted the mistrial last week. I think he should grant it now. And then they want to call McDougal. The more testimony the judge lets in about sex the more off-topic the trial becomes.