{"id":2249834,"date":"2024-05-21T19:06:01","date_gmt":"2024-05-21T23:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-merchan-clears-courtroom-so-he-can-scold-trump-defense-teams-star-witness-nobodys-ever-seen-anything-like-this\/"},"modified":"2024-05-21T19:08:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T23:08:02","slug":"judge-merchan-clears-courtroom-so-he-can-scold-trump-defense-teams-star-witness-nobodys-ever-seen-anything-like-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-merchan-clears-courtroom-so-he-can-scold-trump-defense-teams-star-witness-nobodys-ever-seen-anything-like-this\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge Merchan empties courtroom to reprimand Trump defense team&#8217;s key witness: Unprecedented scene unfolds"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjudge-merchan-clears-courtroom-so-he-can-scold-trump-defense-teams-star-witness-nobodys-ever-seen-anything-like-this%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2249834&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The trial of ex-President Trump for falsification of \u200cbusiness records \u200dintensified with Judge Merchan&#8217;s focus on the\u2062 defense&#8217;s key witness, Robert Costello. Tensions escalated as the judge confronted Costello&#8217;s conduct, leading to a courtroom\u2062 clearing and a warning against contemptuous behavior. Trump criticized the\u200b proceedings, calling for an immediate end to the trial. The trial of former President Trump for falsifying\u2064 business records intensified as Judge \u200cMerchan scrutinized the defense&#8217;s key witness,\u200c Robert Costello. Tensions rose as the judge addressed Costello&#8217;s behavior, resulting in the clearing \u2064of the courtroom and a rebuke for \u200dcontemptuous actions. Trump \u200cvoiced discontent, urging an \u200dabrupt conclusion to \u200bthe trial.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/news\/\">  News <\/a>   <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/russdavis\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/russdavis\/%20\"><span>Jack Davis<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   May 21, 2024 at 12:51pm <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>Contention flowed at former President Donald Trump\u2019s trial on allegations he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-indictment-in-stormy-daniels-hush-money-payment-investigation-imminent\/\" title=\"Trump indictment in Stormy Daniels hush-money payment investigation 'imminent'\">falsified business records<\/a>, but for once Trump was not the focus of Judge Juan Merchan\u2019s ire.<\/p>\n<p>It was the defense team\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-audio-think-tanks-star-lawsuit-witness-admits-to-tommy-robinson-that-they-bribed-him-for-testimony-against-us-congressional-staffer\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE AUDIO: Think Tank\u2019s Star Lawsuit Witness Admits to Tommy Robinson That They Bribed Him For Testimony Against US Congressional Staffer\">star witness<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Witness Robert Costello was on the stand on Monday when his obvious dissatisfaction with rulings that blocked the defense from asking him the questions it sought to ask was quashed by Merchan.<\/p>\n<p>The core of Costello\u2019s testimony was that prosecution witness Michael Cohen had said that Trump never knew about payments to porn star Stormy Daniels that are at the heart of the case.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI swear to God, Bob, I don\u2019t have anything on Donald Trump,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trumps-legal-team-just-called-killshot-witness-stand-law-professor-jonathan-turley-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Costello said<\/a> Cohen told him, and that he paid Daniels \u201con his own.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cohen has said he was battling a \u201cpressure campaign\u201d by Trump and his supporters into working with Costello. Defense lawyers tried to pursue that line of thought but were blocked by Merchan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not going to allow this to become a trial within a trial about a pressure campaign and how it affected Cohen,\u201d Merchan said, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-defense-witness-invokes-judges-warning-missed-day-rcna153167\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>After Merchan spiked one question at the behest of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/huge-michael-cohen-admits-stealing-thousands-trump-testimony-hush-money-trial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prosecution<\/a>, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/elections\/2024\/05\/21\/robert-costello-testimony-judge-juan-merchan-exchange-transcript\/73783319007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USA Today<\/a>, Costello exhaled \u201cJeez!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSorry? I\u2019m sorry?\u201d Merchan snapped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStrike it,\u201d Costello said.<\/p>\n<p>Merchan informed Costello only the judge has the power to order testimony to be stricken, according to USA Today.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you understand that?\u201d Merchan asked.<\/p>\n<p>He then took issue with Costello\u2019s eye movement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you staring me down right now?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n<div id=\"firefly-poll-container\">\n<p>Has Judge Juan Merchan handled this trial fairly?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Merchan then cleared the courtroom of jurors and the media for a talk with Costello about \u201cdecorum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to a transcript published by USA Today of what took place while the courtroom was cleared, Merchan scolded Costello.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fact that I had to clear the courtroom and that the court officers, including the Captain, had great difficulty clearing the courtroom, and that there was argument back and forth between the press and including counsel for the press, goes to why I had to clear the courtroom in the first place,\u201d Merchan said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd that is, sir, your conduct is contemptuous right now. I\u2019m putting you on notice that your conduct is contemptuous. If you try to stare me down one more time, I will remove you from the stand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will strike his entire testimony; do you understand me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, Judge. I understand,\u201d Emil Bove, a Trump lawyer, replied, according the transcript.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cListen to the question and answer the question,\u201d Merchan said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan I say something, please?\u201d Costello said, according to the transcript.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. No. This is not a conversation,\u201d Merchan replied.<\/p>\n<p>After court, Trump told reporters Merchan was doing the prosecution\u2019s bidding to block his attorneys from asking questions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNobody\u2019s ever seen anything like this,\u201d Trump said, according to NBC.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/112477085047687234\">Truth Social<\/a> post published just after midnight Tuesday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/msnbc-legal-analyst-forced-admit-trumps-attorney-scored-moment-real-triumph-cohen-questioning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trump<\/a> called for the trial to end immediately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudge Juan Merchan, who has thus far been the exact Conflicted Democrat Operative his Comrades expected, has a chance to take a real step toward rehabilitating both his Reputation and the Justice System of New York by dismissing the Biden Election Interference Witch Hunt brought by Soros funded D.A. Alvin Bragg,\u201d Trump wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery serious Legal Expert and Scholar is unequivocally stating that the \u2018prosecutors\u2019 have not come close to putting on a case, THERE IS NO CRIME, which means that the right thing to do is to END THIS SCAM NOW AND FOREVERMORE. It would be a Big, Bold, Beautiful, but Highly Unexpected, yet BRILLIANT, step toward Justice in New York, and our Nation as a whole!\u201d Trump wrote.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>A Note from Our Deputy Managing Editor:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>I heard a chilling comment the other day: \u201cWe don\u2019t even know if an election will be held in 2024.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>That wasn\u2019t said by a conspiracy theorist or a doomsday prophet. No, former U.S. national security advisor Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said that to the founder of The Western Journal, Floyd Brown.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Gen. Flynn\u2019s warning means that the 2024 election is the most important election for every single living American. If we lose this one to the wealthy elites who hate us, hate God, and hate what America stands for, we can only assume that 248 years of American history and the values we hold dear to our hearts may soon vanish.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The end game is here, and as Benjamin Franklin said, \u201cWe must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>All of this means that <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>without you<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>, it\u2019s over. We have the platform, the journalists, and the experience to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-rises-as-he-promises-hes-only-begun-to-fight-put-on-full-armor-of-god-to-fight-the-left\/\" title=\"DeSantis Rises As He Promises He\u2019s \u2018Only Begun To Fight\u2019: \u2018Put On Full Armor Of God\u2019 To Fight The Left\">fight back hard<\/a>, but Big Tech is strangling us through advertising blacklists, shadow bans, and algorithms. Did you know that we\u2019ve been blacklisted by 90% of advertisers? Without direct support from you, our readers, we can\u2019t continue the fight.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Can we count on <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>your support<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>? It may not seem like much, but a <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Western Journal Membership<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  can make all the difference in the world because when you support us directly, you cut Big Tech out of the picture. They lose control. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>A monthly Western Journal Membership costs less than one coffee and breakfast sandwich each month, and it gets you access to ALL of our content \u2014 news, commentary, and premium articles. You\u2019ll experience a radically reduced number of ads, and most importantly you will be vitally supporting the fight for America\u2019s soul in 2024.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We are literally counting on you because without our members, The Western Journal would cease to exist. Will you <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>join us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  in the fight? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Sincerely,<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Josh Manning<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Deputy Managing Editor<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The Western Journal<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-44685\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/russdavis\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-44685\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-44685\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-44685\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-44685\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-military-issues-dire-warning-about-chinas-rapid-military-nuclear-weapons-buildup\/\" title=\"U.S. Military Issues Dire Warning About China\u2019s Rapid Military, Nuclear Weapons Buildup\">military issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues. <br \/> Jack can be reached at jackwritings1@gmail.com. <\/p>\n<p>  Location <\/p>\n<p>  New York City <\/p>\n<p>  Languages Spoken <\/p>\n<p>  English <\/p>\n<p>  Topics of Expertise <\/p>\n<p>  Politics, Foreign Policy, Military &#038; Defense Issues <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the trial of ex-President Trump for falsifying business records, tense moments arose as Judge Juan Merchan directed scrutiny towards the defense&#8217;s key witness, Robert Costello. The spotlight shifted from Trump to Costello&#8217;s testimony on Monday, evoking significant courtroom tension<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":661,"featured_media":2249835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Judge-Juan-Merchan-with-Costello-for-May-21-2024.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2249834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Judge-Juan-Merchan-with-Costello-for-May-21-2024.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2249834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/661"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2249834"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2249834\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2249835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2249834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2249834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2249834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}