Donald Trump has spent most of his life evading comeuppance. The worst things that have ever happened to him are him losing re-election — and failing in his attempt to overturn democracy. His reward is that he’s back on top with GOP voters, who seem to love him even more with each and every indictment he Hoovers up. They must adore him more than ever after Tuesday’s news that he received his third indictment in only a handful of months. Thing is, this time it might actually go terribly for him.
Judge in Trump case will be Tanya Sue Chutkan: pic.twitter.com/rtegLFa3t2
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) August 1, 2023
As per The Daily Beast, the judge assigned his latest case, which involves his actions around Jan. 6, is none other than Tanya Chutkan. Who? She’s no household name. What she is is an Obama-appointee with a strong record in the D.C. public defender’s office who was voted in unanimously in 2014. She’s also a fast worker.
Judge Chutkan, who will preside over the Trump trial, is one of the most respected jurists in DC. She has a criminal defense background—serving as a public defender for years. She is known as fair minded to all.
She was confirmed by the US Senate to her federal judgeship by a…
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) August 1, 2023
The judge who will preside over Trump’s DC trial, Tanya Chutkan, is a former DC Public Defender against whom I tried murder cases back in the day. She is smart, fair, ethical, independent, honorable, and will ensure Trump gets a fair and speedy trial.
— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) August 1, 2023
But there’s more. As of last month Judge Chutkan has overseen 31 convicted Jan. 6 rioters. In nine cases she went above the recommended sentencing. She matched the recommendations 14 times. With misdemeanors in which the prosecution was not seeking jail time, she sentenced jail time anyway, between 14 and 45 days.
For some context, judges have gone with the recommended sentencing 80 percent of the time.
Judge Chutkan is not above offering stern lectures to Jan. 6 rioters. When handing sobbing defendant Robert Palmer what was then the harshest sentence yet in December of 2021, here’s what she told him:
“It has to be made clear that trying to violently overthrow the government, trying to stop the peaceful transition of power and assaulting law enforcement officers in that effort is going to be met with absolutely certain punishment. Not staying at home. Not watching Netflix. Not doing what you were doing before you got arrested.”
New on @MSNBC: The Trump case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan.
Chutkan, an Obama appointee, is the only federal judge in Washington, D.C. who has sentenced Jan. 6 defendants to sentences longer than the government had requested.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 1, 2023
Oh, and she has a history with Trump.
In November 2021, Judge Chutkan ruled against Trump when he tried to invoke executive privilege to keep his White House papers secret from the Jan. 6 Committee.
She wrote: "Presidents are not kings, and plaintiff is not president." https://t.co/4TwxGv3BoW
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 1, 2023
When I represented the @January6thCmte Judge Chutkan heard Trump’s attempt to block the committee’s efforts to get his official records. She moved fast. We won. She’s an excellent judge. https://t.co/FxLIz9bwKe
— Eric Columbus (@EricColumbus) August 1, 2023
MORE about CHUTKAN: She delivered this memorable line when ruling that the Jan. 6 select committee could access his White House records. https://t.co/uXmmATWG5A pic.twitter.com/HgxI3fsHUU
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 1, 2023
In November of 2021, Trump twice tried to block the National Archives from turning over records to the Jan. 6 committee, once while invoking executive privilege. Judge Chutkan wasn’t having either attempt. In denying his second claim, she wrote, “Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.”
Then again, he might not need Judge Chutkan to keep him from becoming president all over again.
(Via The Daily Beast)