Opening Statements Begin In Former President Donald Trump’s New York Hush Money Trial

(Photo by Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images)

* Judge denies Trump attempt to toss hush money convictions on grounds of “sure he wasn’t in office but paying off porn stars is a *kind* of official presidential” immunity. But the court reserved the right to toss the case later based on feels. [CNN]

* TikTok swipes over to the Supreme Court to stop looming ban. [National Law Journal]

* Adeel Mangi gives up on Third Circuit nomination noting that confirmation had become “a channel for the raising of money based on performative McCarthyism before video cameras.” But that’s a half-truth! It can also been a rubberstamping commission mill for unqualified Federalist Society flunkies and we’ll see that side soon enough. [New Jersey Law Journal]

* Despite court ruling, law school class diversity remained more or less steady this year. [Bloomberg Law News]

* Supreme Court finally finds a political corruption case they will allow to proceed. [Reuters]

* Supreme Court also moves toward online lottery for public seats. [ABA Journal]

* Where will Tom Girardi serve out his sentence? [Law360]