The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary

by Melissa Murray, Andrew Weissmann

Timed to the start of the first trial in March 2024, this essential volume collects the four unprecedented indictments against Donald Trump and features extensive commentary by NYU law professors and MSNBC contributors Melissa Murray and Andrew Weissmann. In the long span of American history, Donald Trump is the first former president to face criminal indictment. He is the subject of a series of explosive charges across four the January 6 case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith; the election interference case in Georgia; the classified documents case also brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith; and the “hush money” case in New York. The first trial, in New York City, is set to begin on March 4, 2024. Collecting the four indictments in a single, accessible volume, prominent legal scholars and commentators Melissa Murray and Andrew Weissmann walk us through each one in turn, with explanatory and contextual notes that enhance our understanding of these historic documents. The Trump Indictments * An introduction offering background―historical and contemporary―for the charges against the former president.
* The four indictments with annotations throughout, including insider notes from an eminent scholar (Murray) and a former federal prosecutor (Weissmann).
* A cast of characters, from Trump and his alleged co-conspirators to notable Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who face prison sentences as a result of related January 6 cases.
* A timeline that brings together in one place the critical events that led to the four indictments.
A necessary handbook for any concerned citizen following the trials of Donald Trump in early 2024, The Trump Indictments will also endure as an indispensable record of a democracy in peril.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Law, True Crime

400 pages, Paperback

Published February 27, 2024

Reviews

[Cathrine "Capi" · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated the way this book was laid out, fully including each of the 4 indictments, the cast of characters (with MANY overlaps between indictments...), footnotes and insider notes for all pertinent entries, and more. I found myself getting angrier and angrier reading through the individual indictments and wondering "how on EARTH is this criminal not already in JAIL????" I was heartened by evidence of individuals who refused to pander to the defendant's wishes, but disgusted with the ones who bent over backwards to accommodate his lies and cheating. I still find it appalling that this man was ever elected president in the first place (oh, wait, he LOST the first election by the popular vote.....) but still won the electoral college. Reading this book reinforced the need for ALL of us to use our rights to vote if we want to save our democracy.

[Darya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that lays out the evidence against Trump in four different indictments. Especially for the DC January 6th indictment and the Fulton County, Georgia indictment, this book clarifies the ample amount of evidence showing that Trump did start an insurrection and did choreograph an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The media has a way of making the evidence in these two indictments, specifically, sound somehow unclear or unconvincing. After reading this book, I’m convinced, because the evidence actually tells such a clear story.

[Pat Watt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit I haven’t read every page, but this is the essential reference to which I keep going back as each of Donald Trump’s criminal indictments inch slowly to the finish line. By the time these are over, I expect I will have read every page. At the moment the last case in the book is the first case to get to the brink of trial. If that one progresses at a reasonable clip, I will for sure read every page of it. Putting this together was a real work of public service by the authors, for those living through the period, as well as for future historians who will put the events in a larger context.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful resource. Murray and Weissman have footnotes explaining what is being alleged in plain English, explanations of what it means, what outcomes could be and who was involved. The "Insider Notes" are a great reference. Definitely the companion book you want to have as the trump trials proceed the next year.

[Marilyn Kay Maynard]

I read much of the text and found the charges and cast of characters in more than one location to be very interesting! As indicated by the shelf I created "using-for-reference" I plan to use it as a refence to keep abreast of the characters, the actions taken, and all of the many and varied charges that have been filed.

I appreciate the efforts of Melissa Murray with the assistance of Andrew Weissman!

[Frank Hoppe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The commentary is consistently informative, but there’s not enough of it for a satisfying reading experience. The large portion of the book is the reproduction of necessarily bulky and repetitive legal documents.

[Kifflie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish there had been more historical commentary, but it is still stunning to read all of these charges back to back.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good resource. the title says it all

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoilers [for potential jurors] but necessary reading for ALL other Americans regardless of political persuasion. The way these “speaking indictments” are written along with the helpful notes by the authors are very clear even for those without a degree in “legalese”. I’m not going to say it’s an easy read because it’s still a bit dense. I do recommend reading this out of order so you can follow each trial as it occurs. And having some awareness of what was discovered/discussed during the 2 impeachments and Jan 6th Committee hearings is helpful. On a personal note, though, reading this book cover-to-cover, and even taking into account the recent civil defamation case (E.Jean Carroll) and the civil tax fraud investigation taken up by NY AG Letitia James, this shows such a pervasive and consistent pattern of behavior that is in itself pretty compelling. Of course all are innocent until proven guilty. But still a pretty compelling argument in my opinion. Which makes all of the delays to the trials especially chilling.

[Kari Karr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

The terrifying presenting of Trumps efforts to destroy the 2020 election. Very heavy reading and clearEyed presentation, now confirmed by his felony convictions. Very believable.

[Samantha Mattern · Rating 5 out of 5]

This annotated copy of the indictments were truly a public service. The context was A+. So helpful in better understanding these cases.

If you aren’t listening already check out the authors’ respective podcasts:

Andrew Weissmann: Prosecuting Donald Trump (He and fellow attorney Mary McCord discuss & dissect the cases against Trump. They’ve been extensively covering the trial in Manhattan.)

Melissa Murray: Strict Scrutiny (Murray-a constitutional law professor- co-hosts with fellow constitutional law professors Leah Litman & Kate Shaw and provide in-depth analysis of the SCOTUS’s oral arguments, decisions, and the *~court culture~*.)

[Nelson Nantanapibul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit of a news and political junkie so of course, this is something that I would totally pick up and read. This book reprints the entirety of the charges against Donald J. Trump verbatim and legal analysts Melissa Murray and Andrew Weissman annotate the charges with their legal expertise. This book is not for everybody, and it's not a compelling read in terms of twists and turns. Liken this time to a legal textbook. I think this is something perhaps with interests in politics, current events, and in matters of the law, which will find interesting.

[John S. Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is very informative. I admit I skipped the footnotes and other information and concentrated on the actual text of the indictments. Bearing in mind that the defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence, I came away with an understanding of the case the prosecution will be presenting to juries in each of the cases covered by the book.

[Susan P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't learn as much from this book as I would have if I hadn't already been so voraciously following the news, but I really appreciated the convergence of the cast of characters with the timeline.

[Delia T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does not have to be read first to last page.

I bought this book last night and read the section on the NY trial which starts today. It is concise and compelling. As an attorney who does not practice criminal law, I love how interesting the authors make what could be a dry legal story. Fast read!

[Carol A. Barcena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written

Very well written and fully explained so that all the various processes could be understood. I have no legal knowledge being a schoolteacher, but I was able to get all the information clearly to my own understanding. Thank you for writing this book.

[Matt Cimino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Information

Some excellent detail about each one of the indictments. Both liberals and conservatives should read this to get unbiased information.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murray and Weissmann provide a valuable service in releasing The Trump Indictments with its annotated commentary. Readers not versed in the intricacies of formal charging documents undoubtedly benefit from Murray and Weissmann (tenured law professors both) demystifying the legal charges against a former president. Moreover, it is helpful for non-lawyers to see the documents clearly presented without the need to navigate legal databases. As the authors attest, these are historic documents that should be familiar to an electorate before deciding whether Donald Trump should return to the presidency.

Despite these laudatory aims, it quickly becomes clear, however, that aside from the authors’ brief introductions to each document and the inclusion of a dramatis personae, the overwhelming substance of the book comprises the charging documents themselves with all their legal complexities and dull prose. Informed readers learn little more about the events themselves and are not given any broader analysis or material that justifies such a book-length treatment. A casual skimming of one or two documents reveals most of what the book has to offer. This is a work by law professors that will mostly be of interest to other lawyers, aspiring lawyers, and those who seek to learn more about how formal charging documents are structured.

Another fault with the book, and this is not a criticism of Murray and Weissmann but of the elite legal profession more broadly, is the degree to which the authors’ comments on how the legal process would move forward were quite simply wrong. The highly questionable conduct of Judge Aileen Cannon in the Florida documents case, the egregious lapses of professional judgement by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in the Georgia case, and the United States Supreme Court’s nakedly partisan slow-walking the questions before it to the benefit of Donald Trump have revealed Murray and Weissmann’s expectations to be naïve at best. In fairness, both authors have elsewhere provided more sober assessments of how the process is actually playing out and one cannot expect them to have foresaw the exact ways the cases would become mired in legal purgatory. Nevertheless, it is jarring to see how Murray and Weissmann’s early expectations were so wide of the mark.

In summary, this is not a book most readers should expect to read cover-to-cover. It has value, but that value is decidedly limited and thus this cannot be considered any sort of masterwork.

[Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granted, one has to be a particular kind of nerd to want this kind of detail on the four sets of Trump indictments. On the other hand, as this book makes abundantly clear, the fact that we are all sick and tired of hearing about all of these messes the former president has made should not make us complacent about the truly earthshattering allegations at their core. Donald Trump has repeatedly attempted to subvert democracy and the Constitution through his actions, inactions, and encouragement of illegality in others. We should all be deeply afraid that the only thing that stood between him and his aspirations to totalitarianism were a few people who retained their consciences (and their sense of self-preservation—looking at you, Bill Barr) and the general incompetence of all the rest. We will not be able to count on these factors were he to be elected again.

Murray and Weissmann are perhaps the best guides one could hope for on this journey. Not only are they both well-respected law professors, they are also media-savvy and experienced in bringing arcane information into focus for the non-lawyers among us. (I cannot recommend too highly the podcast Strict Scrutiny, of which Murray is one of three amazing hosts. They examine the actions of the Supreme Court with a gimlet eye and delightfully sharp tongues). Far from slogging through these indictments, I found myself constantly enthralled by the thorough manner and damning nature of what they uncover.

We are living in a dreadful time of grotesque polarization, when not only what should and should not be done are in the balance, but even what is and is not the truth. The predominant idea about these trials in the world of Trump supporters is that these allegations are all false, or at least elevated to a level of wrongdoing which is excessive and aims to persecute one man. But what we can see quite clearly from the masterful work these prosecutors have done, and which the authors here explicate, is that Donald Trump is an unprecedented amount of trouble because he engaged in an unprecedented amount of crime. While I truly fear for this republic, my hope is that justice can be done and that he will never return to a role of public trust, a trust he clearly did not deserve and which he thoroughly and repeatedly abused.

[Judie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former president Donald Trump has been indicted in 4 separate cases. They seem to have been going on forever mostly by delays caused by Trump’s numerous legal appeals. He has the right to appeal in hopes of delaying them so long that they will be dropped.

Trying to follow them all can become very confusing especially since such a situation has never happened before in the United States. THE TRUMP INDICTMENTS: THE HISTORIC CHARGING DOCUMENTS WITH COMMENTARY is an excellent guidebook explaining the cases in language interesting and easy to understand.

Melissa Murray & Andrew Weissman begin by showing examples of similar type legal problems in other countries as well as a brief overview of the legal process and background. The introduction also includes a chronology of key dates.

The cases mentioned are the January 6 insurrection, taking place in a DC court; the attempt to overthrow the election, taking place in Georgia state court; the removal of official documents to Mar-a-Lago in Florida; the falsification of business records in New York.

Each chapter begins with a very brief but thorough introduction. It then identifies the people who are involved, primarily private individuals, elected officials, and lawyers. The final part is the indictment with footnotes by the authors explaining pertinent sections.

I found the most interesting parts of the book were the footnotes where the authors present background information about the various charges, possible results of some of the charges, and comparisons to other cases. One I found particularly interesting was Trump‘s comments regarding holding onto government papers when he was talking about Hillary Clinton.

These cases seem to be going on forever and they can get confusing only because the time but because of the information, both accurate and false circulating about them. While it is possible to reach every word of the indictments, I decided just read the footnotes and go back to those sections that were mentioned. It’s definitely worth the time.

[Diogenes Grief · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melissa Murray is one the the three intrepid law professors (alongside Leah Litman and Kate Shaw) who host the Strict Scrutiny podcast (https://crooked.com/podcast-series/st...) I’m always referring to and cheering on when it comes to legal books, and they do a truly marvelous job of clueing in laypeople like me to the abject hypocrisy of the current Supreme Court, as well as the goings-on in all the lower federal courts across the country. While potentially mind-numbing stuff to TikTok addicts and YouTube trolls, the importance of such things cannot be understated.

They discuss this book with both Melissa and Andrew in their episode titled “The TLDR of the Trump Indictments” from 11 MAR 2024. I had to look up what “TL;DR” means—damn kids and their lingo. Too long; didn’t read. Or more likely, “too lazy to read anything longer than 280 characters because I’ve been reprogrammed by digital addictions over the past fifteen years and I have the attention span of a fricking goldfish now”, but that doesn’t gel as an acronym.

I listened to the episode and immediately bought the ebook on Barnes & Noble in solidarity (FU, Amazon). Like The Pentagon Papers, The Afghanistan Papers, and The January 6th Report, this is crucial information for any conscious voter. I beg you to read it before you cast any ballot. We cannot let a criminal, puritanical idiocracy reign.

[Claire Binkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am glad to have read this after having watched everything play out, since now it makes so much more sense.

Although there is a President I didn't vote for in office right now, this is the last term he can legally stay in power. The next Presidential election is in 1144 days. That gives me time to come up with some great catch phrases for my new campaign. For example: Do you have an inkling of who's next? Why, it's Claire Binkley! Nevermind I haven't been in the House or Senate or any of that mess.

It'd work out perfectly fine. I'll have all my friends on the phonelines for taking care of the fun stuff.
And I'd have to get my one other friend to help me with my hair.
But then I'll be set for being the next candidate for President! I'm in the window, after all, and I've read plenty of Greek and Latin Civics. So, it's a perfect opportunity!

This is an interesting book, in short. You might like it.

[Gaetano Venezia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murray and Weissmann's editing and commentary are uneven: some legal definitions and concepts are over-explained, others are mentioned without explanation—which is unfortunate and surprising given Weissmann's very helpful commentary on the podcast "Prosecuting Donald Trump." The indictments themselves are much better written, but I can't evaluate them properly without the right legal commentary and context, this collection fails that bar. I've benefitted more from podcasts, lawfaremedia.org, and ad hoc Google searches.

[Madeleine Gabalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very, very insightful. The layout is very education for someone without any experience with the law. For each indictment, an inteoduction of the context around the charges is explained, followed by a description of each person mentioned in the document. After that, the original text for the indictment is included with annotations for additional context, explanation, and connection to other cases. After reading this book, I don’t know how anyone could be convince Trump is an innocent man, especially since he was found guilty on two of the four.

[Cazz · Rating 5 out of 5]

If only more people would look into facts and evidence, rather than believe whatever their news and social media echo chambers say. Being objectively informed takes a lot of effort and intention these days.

Melissa Murray laid out all the indictments in a way that was organized and systematic which helped a lot, as I have never read so much legal jargon in my life. I appreciated the introduction. Definitely not a read to enjoy. It's a read to learn and gain insight.

[Milly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stars ~ 5

This was great! I've never read entire indictments before and found it quite daunting to attempt but the commentary was really helpful. I came out of this having things clarified about different indictments and what the significance of each one was. Very accessible for those who don't have a law background. Will be reading anything else Murray and Weissmann publish!

[Makaraina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good to get the actual documents "from the horse's mouth", so to speak. Actually found this a fascinating read, which cemented my opinions and confirms which news sources we can trust. Co-author Andrew Weissmann is a frequent guest on MSNBC and does a great job of making legal language palatable.

[J R · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW ! Unbelievable information about Despicable Donald’s legal troubles.

If he was a normal citizen, he’d be convicted of treason, insurrection and with the 34 felony convictions by a jury, he would be in jail for life.

Good read for everyone voting this November.

[Alexander Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't be fooled folks, a more fitting title for this book would bear the prefix "MSNBC Presents : ",
I just say it how I see it .

[Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mainly, it's just the actual legal documents. The additions are not helpful or inviting to dig much deeper. I was disappointed.