Manafort Prosecution Barred by Double Jeopardy Rule, N.Y. Appeals Court Says
Source: New York Times
A New York appeals court on Thursday rebuffed the Manhattan district attorneys efforts to charge Paul J. Manafort, President Trumps former campaign chairman, with mortgage fraud and other state felonies, saying that such a move would amount to double jeopardy since Mr. Manafort had already been convicted in federal court for similar crimes.
The courts decision once again quashed efforts by the district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., to ensure that Mr. Manafort, 71, would still face prosecution should Mr. Trump pardon him. The decision was unanimous and affirmed a lower-court ruling in December that said the indictment against Mr. Manafort violated the states double jeopardy law.
Mr. Manaforts legal team had maintained that the indictment brought by Mr. Vance, a liberal Democrat who has also started an investigation focused on Mr. Trump and his business practices, was politically motivated.
On Thursday, a lawyer for Mr. Manafort, Todd Blanche, praised the appeals courts decision.
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By Mihir Zaveri
Oct. 22, 2020, 5:13 p.m. ET
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/nyregion/paul-manafort-double-jeopardy.html
AnnaLee
(1,039 posts)What's that? So if I stick to a single mode of murder, I can't be tried for any murders I committed once convicted of something related to the first "similar" murder for which I was tried?
FBaggins
(26,737 posts)It wasn't a "similar" crime. It was the same crime, but the federal and state charges were not identical.
From the ruling:
Boogiemack
(1,406 posts)BigmanPigman
(51,591 posts)Codeine
(25,586 posts)A pardon does not expunge your record.
quaint
(2,563 posts)October 16, 2019 Albany, NY
FBaggins
(26,737 posts)It closed it in cases where the criminal had been pardoned and had a specific relationship to the president issuing the pardon.
Manafort hasn't been pardoned.
quaint
(2,563 posts)...that's why I thought Boogiemack suggested waiting for the pardon.
Boogiemack
(1,406 posts)states rights to seek recompense for state crimes.
It can still be appealed by Vance to the NY State Supreme Court.
Fiendish Thingy
(15,611 posts)jrthin
(4,836 posts)Lulu KC
(2,565 posts)I thought I celebrated that. What am I remembering if it isn't this?