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Elie Honig

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Elie Honig is a former federal and state prosecutor, a senior legal analyst for CNN, and a contributor to CAFE.

  1. the law
    The Power of Pardons (to Distract)Trump’s executive orders, and the legal battles they’ve started, will ultimately matter more than his January 6 pardons.
  2. the law
    Jack Smith, Paper TigerHis prosecutorial approach was heavy on bravado and aggression, but it yielded lackluster results.
  3. the law
    Trump’s Sentencing Marks the End of a Saga That Helped Him Get ReelectedSure, he’s officially a felon. But he’s also the 47th president.
  4. the law
    TikTok’s Last StandWith days left until a ban takes effect, the app’s future in the U.S. now rests with the Supreme Court.
  5. the law
    President Biden And Vice President Harris Speak At Democratic National Committee's Holiday Reception
    Joe Biden’s Big Reversal on the Death PenaltyQuite unexpectedly, the president has made good on a campaign pledge he seemed to have abandoned.
  6. the law
    The GOP’s Criminal Case Against Liz Cheney Is a Total MessIf Trump’s DOJ actually runs with these flimsy accusations, it will be a very bad sign.
  7. the law
    The Bizarre Infatuation With Luigi Mangione Won’t Help Him Beat a Murder CaseA criminal trial has a way of forcing people to get serious.
  8. the law
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    Joe Biden’s Pardon of Hunter Is So Much Worse Than It Needed to BeIt may be defensible on the merits — but the president’s lies aren’t.
  9. the law
    Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks during a press conference following the arraignment of former U.S. President Donald Trump in New York City
    Somebody Needs to Tell the Manhattan DA’s Office the Trump Case Is OverThe Trump hush-money saga nears its sorry end.
  10. the law
    Former President Donald Trump's Hush-Money Criminal Trial
    Trump’s Nomination of Matt Gaetz Is a Sign of Dark IntentionsMatt Gaetz, U.S. attorney general — it’s almost an oxymoron. This is a crazy pick. A dangerous pick.
  11. the law
    So What Happens With All the Cases Against Trump Now?There is unfinished business between the president-elect and special counsel Jack Smith.
  12. the law
    Thinking of Contesting the 2024 Election? Here’s Some Advice.There are laws that allow for that kind of thing. Following them is key.
  13. the law
    The Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court
    How the 2024 Election Will Reshape the Supreme CourtThe White House is at stake for four years — the Supreme Court, for much longer.
  14. the law
    Kamala Harris Has Finally Embraced Being a CopThe label hurt her in 2019. Today she wears it like a badge.
  15. the law
    Kathy Hochul Has an Eric Adams ProblemTo remove, or not to remove, the (allegedly) corrupt mayor?
  16. the law
    Jack Smith’s October SurpriseThe special counsel had information he wanted to make public. But he bent important rules to do so.
  17. the law
    How Strong Is the Eric Adams Case? A Former SDNY Prosecutor’s TakeSometimes you can read an indictment and say “Game over.” This isn’t one of those.
  18. the law
    A Former SDNY Prosecutor’s Read on the Diddy IndictmentIt’s even uglier than we expected.
  19. the law
    Jack Smith’s Reckless GambleThe special counsel seems ready to bet the entire January 6 case against Trump on an improbable outcome.
  20. the law
    U.S. President Biden and Vice President Harris deliver remarks on healthcare costs
    Kamala Harris’s Secret WeaponProsecutorial experience gives her an edge — but not how you might think.
  21. the law
    Trump’s Fate Will Determine Merrick Garland’s LegacyThe attorney general is probably on the way out. He’ll leave his most important work — Donald Trump’s prosecution — unfinished.
  22. the law
    US-POLITICS-JUSTICE-COURT-TRUMP
    How Donald Trump May Dodge Sentencing Before the Election — or ForeverThis is where politics collide with the criminal-justice process.
  23. the law
    WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 1: Special Counsel Jack Smith announces
    Jack Smith Can Still Hurt Donald TrumpIt’s time to start thinking about the potential uses of an evidentiary hearing.
  24. the law
    Harris and Walz campaign in Wisconsin
    Kamala Harris and Those ‘Lock Him Up’ ChantsThe vice-president — and former prosecutor — has it exactly right so far.
  25. the law
    Supreme Court Holds Investiture Ceremony For Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
    Making Sense of Joe Biden’s Supreme Court Reform PlanTerm limits, strong ethical rules, and undoing presidential immunity all sound great. But how realistic are they?
  26. the law
    President Biden Delivers Oval Office Address To Nation
    Let’s Knock Off the 25th Amendment TalkIt was written for a specific set of circumstances. We are trivializing it now by treating it as a cheap political gadget.
  27. the law
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    The Secret Biden Tape That We Shouldn’t HearThe hottest track of the summer is the unreleased recording of special counsel Robert Hur’s interview of the president.
  28. the law
    A Close Read of Judge Cannon’s Dismissal of the Trump Documents CaseShe very well might be overruled. But the central question here is not a settled matter of law.
  29. the law
    US-POLITICS-JUSTICE-COURT-TRUMP
    Trump’s Legal Troubles Just Got a Lot SmallerThere will be no more convictions before the election. Maybe ever. And he’s not going to jail.
  30. the law
    Supreme Court
    6 Takeaways From the Supreme Court’s Decision on Trump and Presidential ImmunityA president (probably) can’t order SEAL Team Six to kill a rival. And there’s no chance of a trial before the election.
  31. the law
    Trump supporters storm Capitol building in Washington
    Why the Supreme Court Just Threw Hundreds of January 6 Convictions Into DoubtThe decision in the Fischer case will have huge implications for Trump — and put Jack Smith in a bind.
  32. the law
    Trump and the SEAL Team Six ScenarioThe hypothetical of a president ordering a political assassination continues to haunt Trump’s quest for immunity.
  33. the law
    The Supreme Court’s Make-or-Break Decision on TrumpWatch closely because this will be the most important political moment of the summer.
  34. the law
    Hunter Biden Gun Trial Continues In Delaware
    Hunter Biden Is Probably Guilty. But His Prosecution Doesn’t Make Sense.His alleged violation of a federal gun law is not a crime that would normally be charged.
  35. the law
    Prosecutors Got Trump — But They Also Contorted the LawThe Manhattan jury was thrown into a Frankenstein’s monster of a case.
  36. the law
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    What Are the Chances the Trump Trial Ends in a Hung Jury?Higher than you may think …
  37. the law
    Former President Donald Trump's Hush Money Trial Continues In New York
    The Slippery Question of Reasonable Doubt at the Trump TrialWhat if the jury decides that the courtroom is full of liars?
  38. the law
    Former President Donald Trump's Hush Money Trial Continues In New York
    Will Donald Trump Take the Stand?To testify or not to testify — it’s not a tough question.
  39. the law
    US-JUSTICE-POLITICS-TRUMP-TAX-TRIAL-TAXATION
    The Secret Tape That Will Roil the Trump TrialMichael Cohen recorded his former client and boss. Prosecutors will wish he hadn’t.
  40. the law
    Former President Donald Trump's Hush Money Trial Continues In New York
    Donald Trump Is a Special Kind of Courtroom-Discipline ProblemJudge Merchan has options for keeping order, but some are too soft, and one is too harsh.
  41. the law
    WASHINGTON, DC - January 9: Former president Donald Trump speak
    The Idea of Presidential Immunity Is Not As Ridiculous As You’ve HeardTrump’s legal team is making one argument that’s silly — but another one that’s not.
  42. the law
    Donald Trump’s Trial Is a Rorschach TestIs it criminal accountability or prosecutorial overreach? That’s in the eye of the beholder.
  43. the law
    US-JUSTICE-POLITICS-TRIAL-TRUMP
    How on Earth Do You Pick a Jury for a Trump Trial?It’s tough but doable, and prosecutors should like the results.
  44. the law
    TOPSHOT-US-MEXICO-POLITICS-MIGRATION
    The Texas Immigration Law Is DoomedSB-4 makes for compelling political theater, but the Supreme Court will reject it.
  45. the law
    Donald Trump Attends Pre-Trial Hearing In New York Hush Money Case
    What Are the Chances Trump Goes on Trial Before the Election?I’ll violate a cardinal rule of legal prognostication and give you precise numerical predictions for each case.
  46. the law
    Special Counsel Robert Hur Testifies On Biden's Classified Documents Investigation
    The Failure of DOJ’s Special Counsel SystemThe recent record is dismal. Just handle these high-profile cases like any other.
  47. the law
    President Biden Discusses Bidenomics During Visit To CO Wind Tower Manufacturer
    Why Joe Biden Might Pardon Donald TrumpIt might sound unlikely — but, in the right circumstances, it would make sense to save Trump from serving time.
  48. the law
    Supreme Court
    The 14th Amendment Effort Only Ended Up Helping TrumpIt was a wild law-school hypothetical sprung to life. It only ended up giving Trump’s candidacy a boost.
  49. the law
    Supreme Court Doesn’t Give a Damn About Jack Smith’s Timeline —and It Shouldn’tThe result is disappointing to many (including me), but it’s the only proper way for judges to do their job.
  50. the law
    Michael Cohen’s Moment of Truth Has ArrivedDonald Trump’s upcoming New York trial will hinge on the credibility of a complicated man.
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