Legal experts skewered Alina Habba’s “comedy of bumbling errors” in Trump defamation trial
Former President Donald Trump’s appeal of the $83.3 million verdict in the defamation case brought by E. Jean Carroll is unlikely to succeed, legal experts say.
“Let me ruin the suspense for everyone. Trump doesn’t have an appeal,” Nashville lawyer Brian Manookian argued Friday. “I know the talking heads on TV who have never tried a case or appealed a jury verdict have to mention it. Here’s why it isn’t going to fly.”
A person must “preserve a reversible error at the trial level” in order to have a case with merit on appeal, Manookian explained, ultimately blaming Trump’s lack thereof on his legal team in the case.
“This is why you hire competent counsel. You need someone who actually knows the rules of evidence and procedure,” he said. “Alina Habba had no clue what was occurring throughout the trial. She not only failed to preserve any remote grounds for appeal, like a moron, she repeatedly and unintentionally waived them over and over.”
Having to put up 120% of the judgment amount in order to file an appeal might stop him, however. He probably doesn’t have that much cash lying around, and his properties may be tied up in other legal matters, so he might not be able to use them as collateral.
He’ll just use campaign funds and hope he becomes president so he can pardon himself for illegally using campaign funds
Saudis might sport a bond for him. They’re pretty tight.