Donald Trump was threatened with expulsion from a courtroom last week by a judge angry over the former president’s behavior in a defamation case brought by a writer who accuses him of sexual abuse.

His lawyer didn’t fare much better.

Attorney Alina Habba was ordered to “sit down” after continuing in vain to press a point that the judge had rejected, prompting the lawyer to respond: “I don’t like to be spoken to that way, your Honor.” She was later rebuked for sitting instead of standing while addressing the court and chided the following day over how to properly question a witness. “Evidence 101,” tsk-tsked Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.

The testy clashes have come to be expected as Trump’s lawyers carry into the courtroom the bombastic, and often antagonistic, style that defines his campaign trail demeanor. In arguments that seem to cater more to the client than to the court, Trump’s attorneys have repeatedly invoked his front-runner status in the presidential race despite its questionable relevance, echoed his claims of prosecutorial bias and political persecution and advanced sweeping theories of legal immunity before skeptical judges.

  • Goku@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    His lawyers have to resort to antagonizing the court because they have no case or legitimate strategy to work with.

  • Isakk86@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    There should be a thing… For when you are disrespecting the court in violation of due process… Like when someone is not showing proper deference… Being contemptuous even. If only we had something like that, and judges that are willing to use it.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    10 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was threatened with expulsion from a courtroom last week by a judge angry over the former president’s behavior in a defamation case brought by a writer who accuses him of sexual abuse.

    In arguments that seem to cater more to the client than to the court, Trump’s attorneys have repeatedly invoked his front-runner status in the presidential race despite its questionable relevance, echoed his claims of prosecutorial bias and political persecution and advanced sweeping theories of legal immunity before skeptical judges.

    But with Trump a semi-regular courtroom presence, the encounters might also serve a political purpose, with the candidate seeming to invite tongue-lashings from judges to bolster his claims of judicial system bias.

    This month, Engoron rescinded permission for Trump to give his own closing argument at the trial after his lawyers balked at a directive that the statement could not veer into political rhetoric.

    One venue where the Trump team has gained more traction is in federal court in Florida, where he’s charged with illegally retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

    The judge in that case, Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, has appeared receptive to defense lawyers’ contention that the trial might need to be delayed beyond its scheduled May 20 start date.


    The original article contains 1,161 words, the summary contains 210 words. Saved 82%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!