NEWS ALERT: Appeals court appears receptive to reversing or reducing draconian ruling against Trump

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From Fox News: Judges on a New York appeals court appeared open-minded and receptive to the possibility of reversing or reducing the $454 million civil fraud judgment in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against former President Trump.

Trump appealed the civil fraud ruling that demanded he pay more than $450 million. The former president’s attorneys called New York Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling “draconian, unlawful, and unconstitutional.”

Engoron ruled that Trump and other defendants were liable for persistent and repeated fraud, falsifying business records, issuing false financial statements, conspiracy to falsify false financial statements, insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

A five-judge panel on a New York appeals court in Manhattan heard oral arguments on the appeal on Thursday.

The former president did not attend the oral arguments but was instead represented by his legal team.

Trump’s legal team pointed out to the Appeals Court judges that there were “no victims” and “no complaints” of Trump’s business from lenders and insurers, and said James’ lawsuit stretched New York consumer protection laws.

The Appellate Division typically rules about a month after arguments are complete, the report noted, which means the court could potentially issue a final decision before Election Day on Nov. 5.

Law professor Jonathan Turley weighed in on the appeal process with the following commentary on social media:

In today’s oral argument, the justices voiced the same skepticism that many of us having been raising about the civil fraud case brought by NY AG James…

…Here is Justice David Friedman: “Because I’ve gone through the case that you’ve cited, and all of them always involved consumer protection aspect — it involved protection of the market. You don’t have anything like that here.”…

…The five justices have an opportunity to uphold the integrity of the New York legal system after years of politically motivated actions by James and Bragg. It is a system that seems based on a Wilde Rule of success by excess:

Still pinned to the top of her X/Twitter account is a statement AG Letitia James posted on February 16, gloating, “In a massive victory, we won our case against Donald Trump for engaging in years of incredible financial fraud to enrich himself. Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, and his former executives must pay over $450 million in disgorgement and interest.”

Prominent X user “Wall Street Silver” wrote: “An appeals court appears likely to overturn the $454 million civil fraud judgment against Trump. A New York appeals court grilled attorneys for both Donald Trump and the New York attorney general’s office Thursday over the $454 million civil fraud judgment against the former president, raising questions about the size of the penalty and the scope of the attorney general’s authority to bring case itself.”

WATCH BELOW as one judge noted that “no one lost any money” in this case.

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