Posted on 01/10/2024 1:48:18 PM PST by thegagline
Donald Trump won’t deliver his own closing statement at his New York civil fraud trial after all — after the judge said he needed to stick to “relevant, material facts.”
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron emailed Trump attorney Christopher Kise Wednesday saying he was assuming the 77-year-old former president wouldn’t agree to the “lawful limits” and “therefore, he will not be speaking in court tomorrow.”
Kise first notified the judge in a January 4 email that after the lawyers give their arguments in the $370 million case on Thursday, “President Trump plans to present argument at closing as well,” court records show.
Andrew Amer, a lawyer with the New York Attorney General’s Office, which is prosecuting the case, opposed allowing Trump the chance to speak, warning that he “is prone to giving irrelevant speeches, lacks self-control, is evasive in responding to questions and has repeatedly violated court orders for which he has been sanctioned.”
But Engoron said he would allow the unusual move — only if Trump agreed “to limit his subjects to what is permissible in a counsel’s closing argument, that is, commentary on the relevant, material facts that are in evidence, and application of the relevant law to those facts.”
I cannot agree *(nor would I recommend he do so) to the proposed precondition and prior restraints,” Kise responded in an email Tuesday. ***
Engoron also reiterated that Trump could not speak during closings unless he agreed to the judge’s terms, prompting Kise to respond: “This is very unfair your honor.”
Just before noon, Engoron responded in a stern email to Kise saying, “I won’t debate this yet again. Take it or leave it. Now or never.”
“You have until noon, seven minutes from now. I WILL NOT GRANT ANY FURTHER EXTENSIONS,” he concluded. ***
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Not allowed to speak in his own defense. Isn’t that unconstitutional?
Wow. We regular Americans are dealing with some real nasty SOBs.
This is rich about denying Trump the right to speak, considering last month’s media report about James’ chief of staff having to resign because of sexual harassment allegations and it was discovered that James deliberately kept those allegations from being made public before her reelection, among other corrupt goodies about James and also this judge.
The short answer is no.
Trump has legal representation who will provide a closing argument.
This whole Trump episode sounds like a Gunsmoke episode where a crooked “judge” wants to hang a guy without giving him a chance to defend himself and explain how it was the “judge” who did the shooting.
EnGoron. The PURE EVIL MORON needs an Exorcism by his RABBI!
Do the same rules apply to the DA?
Fox News legal expert said it wasn’t allowed for anyone to do that. But he can do the same thing in front of the cameras afterwards.
Because they can.
If the defendant wants to speak in his own defense, his attourny will call him to the stand and he will questioned under oath. This is followed by the prosecutor cross-examining him.
I've never heard of the defendant giving the closing argument, unless he has been allowed to represent himself (throughout the entire trial, not just the closing arguments).
If the defendant wants to speak in his own defense, his attourny will call him to the stand and he will questioned under oath. This is followed by the prosecutor cross-examining him.
I've never heard of the defendant giving the closing argument, unless he has been allowed to represent himself (throughout the entire trial, not just the closing arguments).
Yes, they should.
I swear I only hit the Post button once. :)
It all goes to his appeal to overturn.
The difference is they were shot almost immediately afterwards. At least I think that will be a difference.
this quack judge had made up their mind before the trial every started
He graduated from the same authoritarian smug school as Merrick Garland, Mayorkas, Janet Yellen, Chuck Schumer, Jamie Raskin etc etc etc
Do the Hunter Biden opposite stunt he did today against the stupid republicans …force yourself to the stand and speak! The only thing the corrupt judge can do is get the law officers to handcuff him, and that mr. Trump, would be the absolutely over the moon mugshot! Do it for the optics and the visuals! Show how corrupt those effing judges are in New York! Stand up for your rights President Trump, and screw them!
I think this judge is sealing an end to his own career.
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