>>> WE’RE NOT OUT OF 2018 YET BUT THE 2019 COURT CALENDAR IS
GETTING PRETTY PACKED ALREADY.
2019 WILL BE FILLED,
POTENTIALLY, WITH SOME BIG LEGAL
MOMENTS AFTER A 2018 THAT SAW
PLENTY.
PLENTY. MSNBC CHIEF LEGAL CORRESPONDENT
ARI MELBER JOINS US NOW WITH THE
BREAKDOWN.
BREAKDOWN. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?
>> GOOD MORNING, HALLIE.
SOMETIMES IT FELT LIKE WE WERE
ALL GOING THROUGH LAW SCHOOL
TOGETHER, TOP STORIES OF EVERY
RUNDOWN AND FRONT PAGE WAS ALL
LEGAL STORIES.
LEGAL STORIES. FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, WE’VE
PUT TOGETHER WHAT IT’S REALLY
BEEN LIKE IN THE LAW.
TAKE A LOOK.
NUMBER TEN, BORDER FIGHTS,
PRESIDENT TRUMP SEPARATING
IMMIGRANT FAMILY.
IMMIGRANT FAMILY. >> IF YOU DON’T WANT YOUR CHILD
TO BE SEPARATED THEN DON’T BRING
THEM ACROSS THE BORDER
ILLEGALLY.
ILLEGALLY. >> A FEDERAL JUDGE HALTED THE
POLICY AND ORDERED THE
ADMINISTRATION TO REUNITE THE
FAMILIES WHILE OTHER JUDGES
STRUCK DOWN TRUMP’S POLICY TO
DEFUND SANCTUARY CITIES.
NUMBER NINE, TRUMP ATTACKING THE
RULE OF LAW.
>> A STUNNING REPORT OUT TONIGHT
SAYS PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS POISED
TO ORDER THE CRIMINAL
PROSECUTIONS OF TWO OF HIS
BIGGEST POLITICAL ADVERSARIES.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP ORDERED THE
FIRING OF SPECIAL COUNSEL RORT
ROBERT MUELLER BACK IN JUNE.
>> LEGAL EXPERTS SAY THOSE MOVES
WOULD BE ILLEGAL AND TRUMP’S OWN
WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL BLOCKED
THEM.
THEM. NUMBER EIGHT, THE RISE AND FALL
OF MICHAEL AVENOTTI, A LAWYER
WHO BECAME FAMOUS OVERNIGHT FOR
REPRESENTING STORMY DANIELS AND
TAKING ON TRUMP AND HIS LAWYER,
MICHAEL COHEN.
MICHAEL COHEN. HE SURGED IN A POLITICAL
CLIMATE.
CLIMATE. >> WHEN THEY GO LOW I SAY WE HIT
HARDER.
HARDER. >> HE ENDED THE YEAR ANNOUNCING
HE WOULDN’T RUN.
>> HOW DO YOU PLEA TO THE SOLE
COUNT?
COUNT? MICHAEL COHEN, GUILTY, YOUR
HONOR.
HONOR. >> FOR TRUMP HUSH MONEY AND
LYING TO CONGRESS ABOUT TRUMP
TOWER MOSCOW.
TOWER MOSCOW. NUMBER SIX, A CHANGE IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT AS JURIES CONVICT
POLICE OFFICERS OF COMMITTING
MURDER IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
>> THERE’S NO JUSTIFICATION FOR
SHOOT
SHOOT SHOOTING JAQUON McDONALD.
>> GUILTY OF SECOND-DEGREE
MURDER.
MURDER. >> TWO OFFICERS CONVICTED THIS
YEAR COMPARED TO ONE MURDER
CONVICTION FOR OFFICERS IN THE
PAST 13 YEARS.
NUMBER FIVE, THE SUPREME COURT
UPHELD TRUMP’S TRAVEL BAN, THE
COURT RULING IN A 5-4 DECISION
THAT TRUMP HAD NOT EXCEEDED HIS
AUTHORITY.
AUTHORITY. NUMBER FOUR, BOB MUELLER
INDICTING RUSSIANS FOR ELECTION
INTERFERENCE.
INTERFERENCE. >> THE INDICTMENT CHARGES 13
RUSSIAN NATIONALS SEEKING TO
INTERFERE IN THE UNITED STATES
POLITICAL SYSTEM.
POLITICAL SYSTEM. INCLUDING THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION.
ELECTION. >> AN HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT, THE
FIRST U.S. INDICTMENTS OF
FOREIGN ELECTION MEDDLING IN THE
MODERN ERA.
MODERN ERA. NUMBER THREE, PAUL MANAFORT
CONVICTED, FORMER CAMPAIGN
CHAIRMAN FOUND GUILTY ON EIGHT
COUNTS, INCLUDING TAX AND BANK
FRAUD AND LATER PLEADING GUILTY
TO CONSPIRACY, STRIKING A DEAL
THAT BOB MUELLER NOW SAYS
MANAFORT BROKE BY LYING TO
INVESTIGATORS.
INVESTIGATORS. NUMBER TWO, ME TOO PROSECUTIONS,
GROWING AND MOVED FROM ACTIVISM
INTO THE COURTROOM WITH
PROSECUTIONS AND CONVICTIONS.
>> A GUILTY VERDICT IN BILL
COSBY’S SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIAL.
>> THIS WAS THE MAX SENTENCE,
TEN YEARS.
TEN YEARS. >> DISGRACED MOVIE MOGUL HARVEY
WEINSTEIN HAS BEEN INDICTED BY A
GRAND JURY.
GRAND JURY. >> 99 WOMEN ACCUSING WEINSTEIN
OF HARASSMENT INCLUDING ANGELINA
JOLIE, GWYNETH PALTROW AND ROSE
McGOWAN.
McGOWAN. >> HE STOLE SO MANY LIVES.
>> DO YOU GET IT BACK TODAY?
>> I THINK TODAY IS A DAMN GOOD
START.
START. >> 2018 ALSO SHOWED THE LIMITS
TO THAT MOVEMENT, TOP LEGAL
STORY OF THE YEAR, BRETT
KAVANAUGH CONFIRMED TO THE
SUPREME COURT BY TWO VOTES AFTER
AN INTENSE BATTLE OVER SEXUAL
MISCONDUCT
MISCONDUCT >> THIS WHOLE TWO-WEEK EFFORT
HAS BEEN A CALCULATED AND ORGAN
STRAIGHTED HIT.
STRAIGHTED HIT. >> I BELIEVED HE WAS GOING TO
RAPE ME.
RAPE ME. I TRIED TO YELL FOR HELP.
BRETT PUT HIS HAND OVER MY MOUTH
TO STOP FROM YELLING.
>> BRETT KAVANAUGH, SWORN IN BY
THE JUSTICE HE’S REPLACING,
AFTER DENYING THE SEXUAL
MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST
HIM.
HIM. >> ALI, THIS IS A PIECE WE DID
FOR THE WHOLE YEAR WE’RE RUNNING
ALL DAY.
ALL DAY. IT’S MERELY A COINCIDENCE WE
LANDED ON SOME OF YOUR ANCHORING