Judge Threatens To Boot Trump From E. Jean Carroll Defamation Trial

Trump was doing his best to get kicked out of the courtroom today as he pushed his luck with Judge Lewis Kaplan, who, unlike the judge in the civil fraud trial, isn't putting up with any nonsense from Trump or his lawyers:

When Carroll first took the stand, Trump could be seen whispering to his lead attorney, Alina Habba. He sat with slightly hunched shoulders as Carroll testified.

As Carroll spoke, Trump complained audibly and appeared to double down on defamatory denials, her lawyer said during a morning break in the proceedings. [...]

Before court resumed after the break, Judge Lewis Kaplan cautioned: “I’m just going to ask Mr Trump to take special care to keep his voice down when conferring with counsel, so that the jury does not overhear.”

Trump did not heed Kaplan’s instruction and, before the lunch break, Crowley brought up his comments again.

“The defendant has been making statements again [that] we can hear at counsel table,” Crowley said.

“He said it is a ‘witch-hunt,’ it really is a con-job.”

Kaplan said: “Mr Trump has the right to be present here. That right can be forfeited, and it can be forfeited if he is disruptive, which is what has been reported to me, and if he disregards court orders.

“Mr Trump, I hope I don’t have to consider excluding you from the trial … I understand you are probably very eager for me to do that.”

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