Judge Juan Merchan, who is in charge of the hush money trial against former President Donald Trump, told everyone to leave the courtroom and told defense witness Robert Costello to stop being rude.
Monday, after Trump “fixer” Michael Cohen left the stand, the prosecution shut down its case.
Costello was a lawyer who “at one point had advised Michael Cohen,” according to CNN anchor Jake Tapper, and the defense called him in to question Cohen’s credibility.
“What’s going on is, Costello is really expressing disdain for Judge Merchan’s ruling,” Tapper said. “Costello shakes his head as if he were exasperated when Merchan sustained an objection from the prosecution about one of the questions. At another time, when the prosecution objected, Merchan told the lawyers to approach the bench and Costello could be heard saying on the microphone, ‘Ridiculous!’” Tapper added, “Then, at another time, there was another objection that was sustained, Costello lets out a, ‘Jesus!’”
