On Sunday, we learned that there would be a conference call on Tuesday in the Roger Stone case. Some had hoped that U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson would address–or seek answers about–last week’s unforgettable controversy. That didn’t happen.
In fact, Judge Jackson completely ignored the high-profile resignations by federal prosecutors, ignored President Donald Trump’s tweets about her, ignored Attorney General William Barr’s public statements about the controversy, and didn’t directly address the juror controversy in the case.
Here’s what happened during the call: scheduling.
Judge Jackson acknowledged that she had received Stone’s sealed motion for a new trial, but said that she would not address the merits of it on the call. Stone’s Thursday sentencing–despite the defense’s protestations–will proceed as planned. Crucially, though, the result of that sentencing will not go into effect unless and until Jackson decides what to do with Stone’s motion for a new trial.
The call was by all accounts brief, with one reporter saying it took all of 10 minutes.
Judge Jackson’s approach on Tuesday was in keeping with what some have been hoping for: don’t rock the boat, ignore the president’s tweets and attacks, do the job of the judiciary.
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[Image via Alex Wong/Getty Images]
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