This is a courtroom roundtable, everyone joining me was at the courthouse and it is basically going to be a gabfest in the hallways. Well, can i just say, trumbo ordered 14 pizzas for lunch. How many did you have . None. I dont know where the pizza was. You know . Hes not the best at sharing, i guess. Who likes a Chicken Ranch pizza . That was one. Anyway, im excited to see your courtroom gabfest. Michael cohen was on the stand for four point five hours today. He was as steady and calm and unfailingly polite as he has been throughout his testimony to everyones surprise. The politeness seems genuine. He says yes sir, and has answers to trumps lawyers crossexamination questions. There was even a moment where the politeness went both ways between Donald TrumpsCriminal Defense Lawyer, todd lynch, and Michael Cohen after Michael Cohen give Todd Blackledge a detailed explanation of the new York City Tax business, including regulations of the Taxi Limousine Commission when Michael Cohen owned viable taxi businesses. Todd lynch said understood. Thank you. Michael cohen said, youre welcome. They both seem to mean it which brought hints of smiles to the faces of some of the jurors at just how polite the politeness could be. Todd blanche, smartly, went out of order in his questioning of Michael Cohen, out of sequence. Susan hoffman juror, did direct examination of Michael Cohen, took him through the chronological story of his life before donald trump, then his life with donald trump, ending with his life of crime with donald trump and his guilty pleas, and his admissions of perjury. In that chronological follow over 11 years of Michael Cohens life, this story of line for donald trump, to protect donald trump, made sense in his role as Donald Trumps personal lawyer, fixer. That lying for donald trump is what got Michael Cohen indicted. When you take his lying out of order, as todd blanche did, its a much messier story and much harder to follow. The incentives for the lying are deliberately left out in the questioning that todd blanche chose. The problem for todd blanche during at least four hours of the questioning is that it was covering ground already covered by the District Attorney. So, every lie that todd blanche was underlining to the jury had already been revealed to them in the District Attorneys direct questioning of Michael Cohen. About five minutes of that questioning, maybe as much as 10, by todd blanche, right before the lunch break today, paid off in the way that every Criminal Defense Lawyer is hoping crossexamination questions can pay off. Todd blanche directed Michael Cohen to a Phone Call Log that was used to identify a phone call between Michael Cohens phone and donald trump bodyguard, Keith Schillers phone. Here is how the testimony went on monday, with assistant District Attorney hoffman juror about the phone call. Lets take a look at the call between mr. Schiller and Michael Cohen on october 24th at 8 02 p. M. Do you see that call . The mac yes, maam. Was it 8 02 p. M. . Yes. You called mr. Schiller, or did he call you . s the mac i called mr. Schiller. The mac do you know why you are reaching out to mr. Schiller . Yes. Why . I needed to speak to mr. Trump and i knew that he is, Keith Schiller was with him. Why did you need to speak with mr. Trump at that point in the evening of october 24th . To discuss the Stormy Daniels matter and the resolution of a question. Did you have an understanding about whether that conversation you resolved that, you are moving forward to fund the deal . s yes. That was then, on direct examination. Today, todd blanche revealed Text Messages from Michael Cohen , an hour before his call to Keith Schiller. Those were from a phone number that had been making harassing phone calls to Michael Cohen and the person sending the messages eventually apologized to Michael Cohen and claimed to be 14 years old. Do you recall at 7 48, texting Keith Schiller about this 14yearold, do you recall that . I dont recall. Smith you recall texting Keith Schiller at 7 48, who can i speak to regarding Harassing Calls to myself and office, the dope forgot to block his call on one of them. It sounds right. Do you recall at 8 02, your initial text to keep schiller is at 7 48 and 8 02 he says, call me, right . When you testified tuesday, that you had a specific recollection of that one minute 36 second phone call on october 24th, it was not with Keith Schiller, you called Keith Schiller and he passed the phone to President Trump, you finalize the deal with Stormy Daniels and you said we are going to move forward and he said yes, because you kept them informed all the time, that was your testimony, right . s correct. That was a lie, you are actually talking about the fact that you are getting harassing phone calls from a 14yearold, correct . Part of it was the 14year old, but i know that keith was with mr. Trump at the time and there is more than potentially just this. Thats what i recall based upon the documents that i reviewed. Thats not what you testified to on tuesday. You said you had a recollection of a phone call on october 2430 02 where you called mr. Schiller and he gave the phone to President Trump and you told President Trump about the up dates, that you are moving forward with the funding, and he said, okay, go. That was a lie, you did not talk to President Trump on that night, you talked to Keith Schiller about what what we just went through. You can admit it. No, sir, i cant. Im not certain that is accurate. You were certain it was accurate on tuesday when you are under oath in testifying, you were certain it was accurate you had a phone call to President Trump, but now you are saying you are not certain it was accurate . Based on the records i was able to review, in light of everything going on, i believe i also spoke to President Trump and told him everything regarding the Stormy Daniels matter was being worked on and is going to be resolved. We are not asking for your belief. This jury does not want to hear what you think happened. Objection. Sustained. Michael cohen adjusted his testimony to say he probably first said something to keep schiller about the harassing 14 yearold, before talking to donald trump to get his approval for the Stormy Daniels deal. Michael cohen said i always run everything by the boss really. Then, it was time for lunch. Todd blanche handled those few minutes of crossexamination very effectively, very effectively in the courtroom. That phone call at it 02 is not the only part of Michael Cohens testimony that delivers Donald Trumps approval of the Stormy Daniels deal. Earlier in October Of 2016, donald trump said just do it. That is according to testimony to the District Attorney monday. Heres the testimony from monday. What if any additional pressure did you feel the close this deal with Stormy Daniels as a result the daily mail was in play and they were anxious to sell the story. Did there come a time, after that, again, still in October Of 2016 that mr. Trump in sept since express that he understood he could no longer delay this transaction . Yes. And describe that conversation you have with him. Becky stated that he had broken to some individuals, very smart people, and that its 130,000 figure like a billionaire, just pay it. Theres a reason to keep this thing out there, so do it. He expressed to me, just do it. Go meet with Alan Weisberg and figure this whole thing out. Following that conversation with mr. Trump, did you in fact have some discussions about trying to figure out how the payment would be made . Yes. Todd blanche is not asked if angle quest about S DiscussionsMichael Cohens arrangement of the Stormy Daniels hush money. He said he would use two hours to finish his questioning of Michael Cohen monday and todd blanche will surely, then, try to create Reasonable Doubt about the meeting Michael Cohen describe , where Alan Weisberg handwrote the payoff plan on the left side of that Bank Statement of Michael Cohens that showed Michael Cohens hundred 30,000 payoff to Stormy Daniels. Todd blanche has to come up with an alternative explanation for that money, written by alan weissberg, on that document, which Michael Cohen says they then brought into Donald Trumps office and discussed with donald trump, that very document. The three of them, in the room, looking at that document. Did donald, alan, michael. In this trial. Michael cohen will be the only person who was in that room who will offer, under Oath Testimony about what happened in that room. The defense has already indicated there is no plan for them to call Alan Weisberg to the Witness Stand, who could, conceivably, testify on behalf of donald trump and maybe say that that meeting never took place. That testimony wont happen. The defense has all but admitted to the judge that donald trump will not testify. The jury will be instruct did that the lawyers questions are not evidence. Testimony by witnesses is evidence that the jury can accept or reject, but questions by lawyers are not evidence. Questions by lawyers prove nothing. Todd blanche is big moment today, where he raised his voice to its loudest level that weve heard in that very polite courtroom from anyone in that room, saying to Michael Cohen, that is a lie, is not evidence in this trial. The jury has been instructed to that. The only actual evidence we have about that phone call is what Michael Cohen has said about that phone call. Donald trumps lawyers could call Donald Trumps bodyguard to testify under oath about that phone call, but they have indicated that they will not call Keith Schiller. So, a loud and jarring and rhetorically very effective question was asked by todd blanche right before the lunch break, but it is not evidence. There were other moments todd blanche had that are perplexing. He said something to Michael Cohen about Karen Mcdougal that undermines one of the pillars of the defense. Karen mcdougal was the playboy model who had a longterm affair with donald trump, and her story was then suppressed by the National Enquirer on behalf of donald trump during the president ial campaign, and the National Enquirer paid her 150,000 for her rights to that story so the National Enquirer could kill that story. Todd blanche actually said to Michael Cohen that donald trump didnt think this story would hurt him. What about his wife . Their position is that whatever donald trump did in relation to Karen Mcdougal or Stormy Daniels was all about protecting the feelings of his wife, not his campaign. But, todd blanche said in court that donald trump did not think the Karen Mcdougal story would hurt him. Why . Because his wife wouldnt care . Because she knows this is what her husband is up to all the time . And at 3 43 today just before the end of Michael Cohens testimony, todd blanche said, President Trump reimbursed you from his own personal funds . Either from President Trumps or from the trust. So, todd blanche admitted that donald trump reimbursed Michael Cohen. The reimbursement is been proven beyond Reasonable Doubt in another case. Donald trump admitted he reimbursed Michael Cohen under 30,000 for his payment to Stormy Daniels. That is a settled legal fact. Todd blanche does not seem to think so, because in his Opening Statement to the jury, he said you are going to learn that this was not a payback. The 35,000 a month was not a payback to Michael Cohen for the money that he gave to ms. Daniels. Todd blanche has not proven that, he has not asks a single question about the money Michael Cohen was heaved for which Michael Cohens guys he did absolutely no work, and that it was indeed payback for which Michael Cohen has provided Allen Weisselbergs handwritten notes calculating the payback, so the essence of the charges in this case have not been touched by todd blanche is cross examination, yet. Its a case of falsification of 34 Business Records which were falsified as part of vacant. See to illegally affect an election. Donald trumps handwriting is on 11 of those false Business Records, the 11 checks made out to Michael Cohen. Theres nothing in cross examination that is going to get Donald TrumpsSignature Off of those checks. 12 other falsified Business Records are ledger entries, donald trump not did not make that. The bookkeepers who made those entries have testified about how they made those entries. It makes it a crime to falsify, or cause to be falsified, any new York Business record. The other 11 falsified Business Records are Michael Cohens invoices that Michael Cohen sent to the Trump Organization to effectuate his reimbursement. How did his invoices that he created become Donald Trumps falsified Business Records . He foolishly requested that from Michael Cohen who had no expectation or intention to provide invoices for his reimbursed and paid after the financial officials requested invoices from Michael Cohen, he sent those invoices and what made them falsified Business Records of Donald Trumps is that those invoices were then attached to other falsified Business Records in each one of those payments. Those 34 falsified is in his records, according to the District Attorney, are the crimes charged in this case. Todd blanche has yet to say a single word about a single Business Record that the District Attorney says is falsified. So, the stories of withering c