Good morning from the federal courthouse in DC where the Roger Stone trial resumes this morning. Long line to get in today - I initially was among the Stone defense team and then Stone himself - but they’ve since jumped on ahead. 
Deep thought of the day - if all the reporters covering the Roger Stone trial are still stuck in a security line when the trial starts, is it really happening?
BREAKING - DOJ says it expects it will rest its case today against Stone.
More NEWS: Rick Gates is the next witness.
DOJ also says it still wants to show the Godfather II clip. Stone objects. Judge Jackson is inclined to show jurors the transcript from the key scene.
Here's our @politico coverage of this AM's fast-moving events in the Stone trial. w/ @matthewchoi2018 politico.com/news/2019/11/1…
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Rogow in cross-examining pressing Gates on all manner of things he pleaded guilty to.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Rogow finished with Gates cross-examination. Zelinsky back up.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Gates is finished on the stand. Mid-morning break.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 We are back in session.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 The former FBI agent who worked on the Stone file - Michelle Taylor - is back on the witness stand.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Taylor talking about the Godfather Part II scene involving Frank Pentangeli. She says she's seen the film "more than once" and included watching the key clip at the center of the witness intimidation just last night.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 The government has no more witnesses in its prosecution of Stone. A couple more exhibits will be entered.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 The government rests.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Early lunch for the jurors, Judge Jackson says. The trial will resume at 1:30 pm.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Stone attorney Buschel says the defense WILL REST after it plays the jury about 50 minutes of the audio from Stone's Sept. 2017 testimony to HPSCI. It won't give them a transcript. "We just want them to listen," he says.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Closing arguments coming tomorrow. "I don't see why we wouldn't close tomorrow," Judge Jackson says.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Stone just filed a last-minute 14-page motion for acquittal that Judge Jackson will presumably be ruling on here this PM. Read it here: politico.com/f/?id=0000016e…
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Our lede: Roger Stone first told one of Trump’s top aides in April 2016 that WikiLeaks had plans to dump information in the heat of the presidential race, kickstarting a scramble inside the campaign to take advantage of the expected releases. @politico politico.com/news/2019/11/1…
@politico @matthewchoi2018 We're back. Judge Jackson says she won't rule until after the next break on Stone's motion to acquittal.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 And she walks through the schedule for the remainder of Stone trial. Defense will wrap this PM. Jury instruction conference at 10 am Wednesday. Then lunch break, with closing arguments beginning around 1 pm Wednesday.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Jackson says she expects each side would take about an hour to give their closing arguments. The government asks for 75 minutes. She replies by urging both sides to avoid repetition. “Trust people to remember what you told them five minutes before," she said.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 For those following along at home, Judge Jackson is hearing arguments on Stone's motion for an acquittal on all but the witness tampering charge, which Stone's lawyers say they're fine leaving to the jury.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 As a quick aside let me just say that covering this trial via closed circuit TV in the courthouse media room is such a different experience than last summer during the Manafort trial in Virginia.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 In EDVA, reporters were trapped in 1994. No phones & computers. We had notebooks and pens. Had to dash across the street during breaks to file from the Westin hotel or park benches. Also had to keep quarters handy to use a payphone in the courthouse. And remember phone #s.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 You can read my first person story from @politico back in March on covering the whole Mueller probe here, including the Manafort trial and some Rudy butt dials that I believe were some of the first reported Rudy butt dials: politico.com/magazine/story…
@politico @matthewchoi2018 We are back in recess in the Stone trial until 2 pm. Defense will be presenting its case, which appears to include playing the 50-minute audio from the Stone deposition.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Court back in session. Judge Jackson says she'll reserve her judgment on the Stone motion to acquit.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Jury coming back in. Buschel jokes with Judge Jackson asking if he has to stand for the full 50 minutes while the jury is played the Stone deposition audio. She says he can sit down.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Stone defense has begun. It starts w/ Buschel putting a number of pieces of evidence into the record.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Jury will have all these exhibits in the room when they deliberate, but they won't hear them described in open court now.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 We're now hearing the Stone audio from his Sept. 2017 deposition. It's unclear which members are speaking in real time as there's no transcript in front of the public.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 And of course, moments after I type that, one of the members mentions they'll be turning things over to Rep. Gowdy. So we may have some useful markers along the way - as well as potentially IDing voices.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Here's a link to the Stone HPSCI transcript, excerpts of which are being played via audio to the jury and in the open courtroom right now: documentcloud.org/documents/6544…
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Stone sitting at defense table with arms crossed listening to his voice being played to the jury. DOJ's Jonathan Kravis is leaning back in his chair, fidgeting with what appears to be a watch. Judge Jackson appears busy writing something with a pen, eyes down at her desk.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 Huge thanks to my colleague and co-pilot this AM @matthewchoi2018 for pinch hitting today while @joshgerstein handled DACA at SCOTUS.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 @joshgerstein Audio is over. "Mr. Stone rests," Robert Buschel says. Government has no rebuttal.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 @joshgerstein Jackson walks jury with process ahead, including tomorrow AM's conference they won't be part of and that closing arguments will take place at 1 pm. Jurors are now excused for the day.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 @joshgerstein At DOJ's prompting, Judge Jackson asks Roger Stone if he's waiving his constitutional right to take the stand to defend himself. "Yes, your honor I do," he replies. Asked if it's his decision, Stone replies, "Yes, your honor it is." Stone also says he's discussed w/ his attorney.
@politico @matthewchoi2018 @joshgerstein And with that the trial is done for the day. Back tomorrow at 10 am for the jury instruction conference.
Roger Stone, clad in a black hat, just left the courthouse.
