Good morning from federal court in DC. There’s a Roger Stone status hearing at 11 am where Judge Jackson should give a clear signal whether Thursday’s sentencing is full steam ahead. Stone has requested a new trial, which is what @POTUS was referring to this AM on the twitters. 
The Stone hearing is in open court, though Stone’s lawyers are expected to be calling in. We also will see for the first time in person the new government prosecution team that replaced the four members who quit last week.
We're about 10 minutes from the start of Stone hearing. Judge Jackson's clerk is dialing into the teleconference. Media is watching on closed-circuit TV here in the courthouse w/ spotty WiFi. So hang tight as I try to update w/ developments.
Here's the write-up from my colleague @joshgerstein on what's what for today's Stone hearing. He's inside the courtroom now. politico.com/news/2020/02/1…
@joshgerstein Stone's lawyers have asked for a new trial. Here's the @politico story on that from last week: politico.com/news/2020/02/1…
@joshgerstein @politico Replacing the four prosecutors who left the Stone case last week are J.P. Cooney & John Crabb, who serve as the top two officials handling public corruption cases for the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington D.C.
@joshgerstein @politico Roger Stone and his attorney Grant Smith have just dialed into the teleconference.
@joshgerstein @politico The federal prosecutors -- both John Crabb & JP Cooney - have dialed into the call too. Stone's defense team is also now on the call, including Bruce Rogow, Tara Campion & new lawyer Seth Ginsburg.
@joshgerstein @politico And here we go. Judge Jackson is also dialed into the call.
@joshgerstein @politico Stone confirms he's listening: "Yes, your honor I can. Thank you your honor.”
@joshgerstein @politico Judge Jackson pressing both sides on whether she needs to rule on the motion for a new trial before sentencing Thursday. She says she'd like to rule in writing on it.
@joshgerstein @politico Jackson signals she'd like to go forward with the sentencing Thursday but then defer execution of its terms pending the outstanding questions about a new trial. She's still working through this on the phone, though.
@joshgerstein @politico BREAKING: Jackson says she will keep Roger Stone's Thursday's sentencing, but signals she will defer its execution. "I think that delaying the sentence would not be a prudent thing to do under all the circumstances unless I'm required to do so."
Jackson earlier in the hearing had asked the lawyers for both Stone and DOJ if there was any legal requirement to postpone sentencing while she dealt with his new trial motion. Neither side said there was an actual legal requirement. That’s what her quote was referring to.
@politico @joshgerstein More maneuvering. Stone's lawyers say they'll file a reply brief by Feb. 25 responding to DOJ's opposition to their request for a new trial. Judge Jackson then orders the attorneys to turn it in by Feb. 24. This will all go down after Thursday's sentencing.
