First Question on Cross Examination of Michael Cohen: Are you an honest person?

[Seymour Flops]

Even a CNN lawyer knows how effective this would be.



How would Cohen answer? How could he answer?

Maybe the judge will strike it without Cohen having to answer?

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Easy answer...

"I have made mistakes in the past where I was not honest and forthcoming and I paid a steep price for those times. I have learned a hard lesson and strive to do better".

 

[JoeB131]

"The only time I have been dishonest was on behalf of your client. I should have followed the canon of ethics rather than appease him."

You really can't attack Cohen's integrity without pointing out that he was Trump's fixer for decades.

 

[Seymour Flops]

Easy answer...

"I have made mistakes in the past where I was not honest and forthcoming and I paid a steep price for those times. I have learned a hard lesson and strive to do better".

And you would buy that?

 

[pknopp]

Answer: At least as honest as Trump.

 

[rightwinger]

Cohen wil just reply…….I am a Lawyer

 

[Seymour Flops]

Answer: At least as honest as Trump.

So the prosecution wants to make the case liar vs. liar?

Problem with that is that it will be easy for the defense to catalogue Cohen’s lies.

Including lies under oath.

 

[WorldWatcher]

Answer: "Not always, but at least I never cheated on my mistress while my wife was at home having just given birth to our son by boinking a porn star. You know, what your client did that caused this whole mess. Oh, and not only did he boink a porn star cheating on his mistress while cheating on his wife - it was his 3rd wife. Who he was boinking while married to his 2nd wife. And his 2nd wife? Well he was boinking her while married to his first wife."

WW

 

[WorldWatcher]

So the prosecution wants to make the case liar vs. liar?

You said "cross examination" as the basis of the question. That would be the defense asking the question.

WW

 

[rightwinger]

So the prosecution wants to make the case liar vs. liar?

Problem with that is that it will be easy for the defense to catalogue Cohen’s lies.

Including lies under oath.

That is really what it comes down to
Who does the jury believe is lying?

Will they believe Trumps claims that he never had sex with Stormy Daniels?

 

[pknopp]

So the prosecution wants to make the case liar vs. liar?

It would at least be an honest argument.

Problem with that is that it will be easy for the defense to catalogue Cohen’s lies.

Including lies under oath.

He did lie under oath. For Trump.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

And you would buy that?

Whether one believes him is already decided.

The question would just be for show, not because the answer matters.

I mean be honest, is there anything he could say that would change your view of him?

 

[JoeB131]

So the prosecution wants to make the case liar vs. liar?

Problem with that is that it will be easy for the defense to catalogue Cohen’s lies.

Including lies under oath.

It can... but the big problem is that there's a ton of documentary evidence backing up Cohen's position, it's why they've spent the last three weeks going through documents and establishing what happened.

Also, Cohen is a lawyer, he knows how to testify in court.

Meanwhile, Diaper Don won't even get on the stand. If he does, all his other bad actions come into play.

 

[Seymour Flops]

You said "cross examination" as the basis of the question. That would be the defense asking the question.

WW

And Cohen answering as coached by the prosecution.

 

[Seymour Flops]

Whether one believes him is already decided.

The question would just be for show, not because the answer matters.

Yes, to remind jurors that the prosecution has introduced a serial perjurer as star witness among a slate of witnesses who are professional liars. For sho!

I mean be honest, is there anything he could say that would change your view of him?

That he is a serial perjurer? What could he say to change that?

He’s still obfuscating over whether he’s guilty of crimes he pled guilty to. That leopard hasn’t changed his spots.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Yes, to remind jurors that the prosecution has introduced a serial perjurer as star witness among a slate of witnesses who are professional liars. For sho!

You think the jurors do not know who Cohen is? Seems unlikely.

That he is a serial perjurer? What could he say to change that?

He’s still obfuscating over whether he’s guilty of crimes he pled guilty to. That leopard hasn’t changed his spots.

Then again, the question is meaningless. It seems you watch too much TV

 

[Seymour Flops]

You think the jurors do not know who Cohen is? Seems unlikely.

No, I do think they know who he is. That’s why I use the word “remind.”

Then again, the question is meaningless. It seems you watch too much TV

I like to be informed. Keep me from going on political forums and raising my hand like Arnold Horscack to say “oh ooh oh, I don’t remember.”

 

[Harpy Eagle]

No, I do think they know who he is. That’s why I use the word “remind.”

I like to be informed. Keep me from going on political forums and raising my hand like Arnold Horscack to say “oh ooh oh, I don’t remember.”

It is cute that you think watching TV news makes you informed. You have the first letter correct, but the word you are looking for is indoctrinated.

 

[Seymour Flops]

My prediction is that Cohen will say that Trump ordered him to do things that he himself thought of as Trump’s lawyer. It will be up to the jury to decide whether the serial liar is credible when he claims that.

I just wonder how outlandish the prosecution will be willing to be. Will they really lead Cohen to say that Trump told him. “be sure to call this a legal expense. I don’t want anyone to know about my illegal campaign contribution, so please falsify that record? Oh yeah, I also want to defraud an unnamed person.”

 

[JLW]

Open ended questions like the OP’s are always a bad idea on cross. It is a free pass for Michael Cohen to go on a sermon of how he has reformed and just what a creep Trump is.

But, given the quality of Trump’s legal team, they may very well start with the OP’s question!