I’ll leave to our lawyers the legal analysis of today’s events, but a couple of random thoughts:
—The next hearing isn’t until December. That allows plenty of time for the political effect of this thing, and the resulting Trump surge, to wear off, at least a little. On the other hand, that timing would kick the case back into overdrive when the primaries are really heating up.
—Reportedly, the prosecution asked for a trial in January. That would be absurd, right on the cusp of the Iowa caucuses. But when is going to be a good time to try this?
—The judge didn’t issue a gag order, which is a good thing. It would have been crazy to try to stop a leading candidate for president from discussing a very important public matter, no matter how irresponsibly he does it.