It’s hard to adequately describe what happened to Donald Trump in Venezuela-on-the-Hudson. Outrageous? A travesty of justice? A devasting blow to the sanctity of our justice system and its reputation for fairness and nonpartisanship? An American repetition of the Soviet show trials of the 1930s? It’s all of those things. And you don’t have to be a Trump supporter to understand that. A former president was convicted of 34 misdemeanors for paperwork errors (whose statute of limitations had run out) that were changed to felonies because he had supposedly violated another state law—nowhere mentioned in the indictment—that makes it a crime to use “unlawful” means to promote or oppose the election of a candidate. And what was that “unlawful” means? Well, the defendant didn’t know because those other “unlawful” means (i.e., other crimes) weren’t mentioned in the indictment, either. The judge told the jurors that they didn’t need to even agree on what other crimes the defendant had committed, seemingly in conflict with hundreds of years of English and American jurisprudence, including the Constitution’s guarantee of due process of law. No, said the judge, the jury could consider violations of tax law or a violation of federal campaign finance law or of some other unnamed law for listing as a legal expense—instead of as a campaign expense—a settlement payment made to an individual who was represented by counsel in a perfectly legitimate, and perfectly legal, transaction. But no need for a unanimous decision on that issue. A violation of federal campaign finance law? What were a local prosecutor and a state court judge doing bringing up a violation of federal law over which they have no jurisdiction whatsoever? And if that was something the members of the jury—who know nothing about federal campaign finance law—could consider, why did the judge tell the defendant he would not allow Brad Smith, a former federal election commissioner and one of the nation’s leading experts on federal campaign finance law, to explain to the jury what is considered—and what is not considered—a campaign-related expense under federal law? The judge acted like a member of the prosecution team throughout this case, a case so lacking in merit that the prior district attorney—the one who preceded the Soros-supported rogue prosecutor Alvin Bragg—refused to file it. Judge Juan Merchan consistently ruled against Trump and allowed the prosecution to essentially do whatever it wanted, including admitting evidence and allowing testimony to matters that were completely irrelevant to the actual charges and whose only purpose was to confuse the jury and blacken the character of the defendant. Merchan committed the same sorts of error that recently prompted the New York Court of Appeals in People vs. Weinstein to throw out Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction. How so? Because the trial judge in that case abused his discretion by admitting irrelevant testimony and evidence that was comprised of, as the appeals court said, “untested allegations of nothing more than bad behavior that destroys a defendant’s character but sheds no light on their credibility as related to the criminal charges lodged against them.” Moreover, Merchan should never have presided over this case in the first place, just like this prosecution should never have been brought in the first place. Merchan should have recused himself from handling it from the very beginning. In addition to the fact that he donated money to the Biden campaign as well as to a group called “Stop Republicans,” his daughter is a Democratic political consultant who worked for the Biden-Harris campaign and whose clients have been raising money off of this kangaroo court trial. After a six-week trial, the jury took less than two days to find Trump guilty of 34 felony charges. This hardly seems like enough time to take a hard, objective look at the lack of evidence produced by the prosecution that an actual crime had been committed. This suggests that political bias and animus toward the defendant for reasons unconnected to the case may have been a decisive—if not the decisive—factor during their hasty deliberations. This is especially true given the only people who could provide any insight into what Trump did and what he knew with respect to the alleged offenses were Allen Weisselberg—the Trump Organization’s CFO whom the prosecution did not call as a witness—and Michael Cohen—who lied under oath on innumerable prior occasions, admitted that he hates Trump, blames Trump for everything that has gone wrong in his life, stole from Trump, recorded their conversations in violation of the attorney-client privilege, and said he would profit handsomely if Trump is convicted. When the defense team files its appeals brief, it will probably have to be the size of the novel “War and Peace” to list all of the legal errors and fallacies committed by the judge and the prosecution. The Appeals Court of New York should follow the example of the U.S. Supreme Court. When Trump’s lawyers filed an appeal with that court over Colorado’s unconstitutional action in disqualifying Trump from the ballot, the court acted with unprecedented speed to put the matter on an expedited schedule in order to get a decision out as soon as possible. The New York courts have a duty and responsibility to do the same thing. I don’t have a lot of faith in those courts, many of whose judges, as we have seen in this case and the meritless civil case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, seem infected with partisan politics influencing what they do. One final point about all of this. One of my colleagues just got back from an international conference that had representatives from all over the world, including many Third-World countries. Their reaction to these prosecutions of the former president was that the United States had finally joined the ranks of their home countries where their governments use the judicial system to go after their political opponents. It is a sad day for America and a justice system that was, until now, much admired and copied around the world. Originally published by DC Journal The post Trump Verdict Makes NYC ‘Venezuela on the Hudson’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A street kitten faced numerous challenges but began to thrive thanks to those who believed in him. TomOne Cat at a TimeA kitten was brought to an animal shelter with many strikes against him. He couldn't open his mouth due to injuries.A shelter volunteer fed him with a syringe and tried to treat him with medication, but to no avail. He needed to see a specialist, but the shelter lacked access to one.They reached out to the rescue community, and Marie, founder of One Cat at a Time, agreed to take him in after hearing about his plight. One Cat at a TimeAt two and a half months old, the kitten named Tom had already used up several of his nine lives. After hours on the road, he finally arrived at his foster home, where a new beginning awaited him."He had a fractured skull, and his jaw was broken in more than one place," Marie shared. Tom had been attacked by another animal and neglected. Surviving such severe injuries was nothing short of a miracle. One Cat at a Time"When talking to the vet, I had a lump in my throat. I was afraid she would tell us that there was nothing they could do. The good news is we had a surgery plan for Tom."Tom quickly charmed every staff member at the animal hospital with his sweet temperament. Despite all he had gone through, he never stopped seeking affection and simply wanted to be loved. Tom sought affection from the staff at the animal hospitalOne Cat at a TimeThanks to the outpouring of public support, the rescue was able to provide Tom with the life-changing surgery he needed. "Our little Tom is a strong kitten, a fighter. He is remarkably resilient."The operation was challenging for such a tiny kitten, but Tom pulled through. Part of his jaw was removed, allowing his mouth to open and function properly again. Tom after the life-changing surgeryOne Cat at a Time"Tom will have a crooked jaw, but he will be able to eat on his own. He will have a much better quality of life. After all that he has endured, he deserves the good life."The day after surgery, Tom was up on all fours, devouring a bowl of food like there was no tomorrow. "This means everything. It was the first time in weeks that he could open his jaw and eat like a normal kitten." He opened his mouth to eat for the first time since the rescueOne Cat at a TimeTom returned to his foster home and, within a few weeks, blossomed into a playful, boisterous, and social kitten. Nothing from his past could dampen his love for life."He may have a few imperfections on his face, but he is perfect in our eyes, crooked mouth or not. Tom has blossomed into a handsome, playful young catOne Cat at a TimeThree months after his rescue, Tom's dream came true when a loving family embraced him wholeheartedly and welcomed him into their home."He has been with his new dad and feline siblings for just two days, but it already feels as if he's always been a part of their lives." He's found his forever homeOne Cat at a Time"We knew he would adapt easily. He is fearless. He has left a mark in our hearts," Marie shared. "Tom arrived with us with a broken body, but his joy for life remained unbreakable. He was a strong and resilient kitten, a true fighter."He's found a new throne in the bathroom at his forever home. Tom turned the sink into his new throneOne Cat at a TimeThroughout this journey, Marie and her team never stopped believing in him."Seeing him eat like a normal cat for the first time moved us all. Now, he is living the best life he truly deserves." Happy and lovedOne Cat at a TimeShare this story with your friends. More on One Cat at a Time on Instagram and Facebook.Related story: Kittens Brought to Front Yard by a Cat, One of Them Needed Help So He Could Walk and Run with His Brother

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A sheriff in southern California issued a warning to those who participate in illegal street-takeovers after 56 people were arrested in relation to the vandalization of a police cruiser. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said that an officer from the Highland Station was on the way to a call when he encountered the "side show" in the street near Highland Avenue and Victoria Avenue. 'This type of recklessness won’t be tolerated.' The officer ordered the people to disperse, but they instead attacked the police cruiser and vandalized it. "[S]pectators surrounded the marked Sheriff’s patrol vehicle and proceeded to vandalize the patrol vehicle. The spectators damaged the windshield and body panels of the patrol vehicle," read the statement. Police said an investigation led them to identify car clubs associated with the takeovers and sideshows. They said the participants would post videos on social media showing them driving stolen cars and displaying firearms during the incidents. Investigators obtained search warrants, and they were able to obtain a stolen Dodge Hellcat and several stolen firearms. Police said that they orchestrated "Operation Consequences" in combination with members of numerous law enforcement agencies on June 1. Police busted up a group of people in the car clubs who were using an abandoned property to practice their takeover maneuvers. They arrested people as they tried to flee from the location. 'Arrests will be assured, and cars will be impounded if these street-takeovers continue.' Of the 56 people arrested, 37 were adults and 19 were juveniles, according to the sheriff's office. “This type of recklessness won’t be tolerated in San Bernardino County. Arrests will be assured, and cars will be impounded if these street-takeovers continue," said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus. Street takeovers and side shows have been a growing problem across the U.S., and some have even turned lethal. In one incident from Jan. 2023, a 13-year-old boy was struck and killed by a motorcycle that was travelling over 100 miles per hour at an illegal street takeover in St. Petersburg, Florida. Police arrested his father for neglect because he had brought the boy to the race. Adelanto is a city of about 39k residents about two hours northeast of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert. San Bernardino County is the largest county in the U.S. with over 22k square miles of area. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Seven Republican senators joined with Democrats and independents on Tuesday in voting to confirm President Joe Biden's nomination of Judge Tanya Monique Jones Bosier to serve as an associate judge on the Superior Court of D.C.Lawmakers voted 57-41 in favor of confirmation, with all 41 of the opposing votes coming from Republicans.'In DC it's business as usual.'The seven GOP senators who voted to confirm included Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina."The GOP nominee was convicted in a kangaroo court Thursday. Just 5 days later AT THEIR FIRST CHANCE Sens. @LindseyGrahamSC @SenatorRounds @SenatorLankford @SenThomTillis voted yes on ANOTHER Biden judicial nominee. They won't stop Democrat Lawfare. In DC it's business as usual," Blaze Media's Christopher Bedford tweeted."Democrats didn't need these Republicans to confirm their judge. They didn't need @lisamurkowski @MittRomney @SenatorCollins either. These senators are simply adding their seals of approval. Even a controlled opposition at least pretends to oppose. There are no excuses," he added.Last week, a jury found former President Donald Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, guilty on all counts in a New York criminal trial.Some GOP senators signed onto a pledge that declares, in part, that they will not vote to confirm any Biden administration political and judicial nominees. "The White House has made a mockery of the rule of law and fundamentally altered our politics in un-American ways. As a Senate Republican conference, we are unwilling to aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart. To that end, we will not 1) allow any increase to non-security related funding for this administration, or any appropriations bill which funds partisan lawfare; 2) vote to confirm this administration's political and judicial appointees; and 3) allow expedited consideration and passage of Democrat legislation or authorities that are not directly relevant to the safety of the American people," the pledge declares.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Federal prosecutor Derek Hines also played excerpts from the audiobook of Hunter Biden’s memoir to corroborate the laptop data.

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If Your Day Is Gone, and You Want to Ride On: Hunter Biden's Delaware Trial - Day 2