Judge Tells Jury 'Put Aside' His Criticism of Manafort Trial Prosecutors
Source: TPM
ALEXANDRIA, VA After being chastised repeatedly by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis in front of the jury during Paul Manaforts ongoing trial in Virginia, the prosecutors arguing the case appear to have had enough. On Thursday, they filed a court filing taking issue with Elliss outburst over a government witness who had watched the full trial before being called to the stand.
Ellis told the jury Thursday morning to put aside any criticism of the prosecutors. I sometimes make mistakes, Ellis said.
The prosecutors had asked Ellis on July 31 to permit the presence of the expert witness, IRS tax expert Michael Welch, in the courtroom for the proceedings. Thursdays filing includes an excerpt of the transcript with Ellis explicitly granting the request and even asking the name of the expert.
On Wednesday when the government called Welch and asked him if he had heard previous witnesses testimony, Ellis blew up at prosecutor Uzo Asonye.
Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/judge-tells-jury-put-aside-his-criticism-of-manafort-trial-prosecutors
riversedge
(70,349 posts)TheBlackAdder
(28,227 posts)He does it to make better attorney's out of them, and every one who has bee in front of that judge praises him for it later on.
pennylane100
(3,425 posts)I thought the attorney went very far out of his way to kiss that judges ass, as he knew he would possibly have to appear before in his court in the future.
central scrutinizer
(11,665 posts)And the Bundys and other assholes walked
klook
(12,171 posts)By all accounts, he's an asshole. A smart asshole, but an asshole nonetheless. And his continued haranguing of the prosecutors can bias the jury.
JDC
(10,135 posts)GusBob
(7,286 posts)He lack of temperament indicates lack of judgement
jcgoldie
(11,655 posts)The behavior seems very erratic... 78 years old maybe time to head out to pasture...
Cryptoad
(8,254 posts)woundedkarma
(498 posts)Someone who's had 8 cases before him was on Maddow last night. He said he's always like this. You want to believe it's rigged cause everything is right now but I'd need more than the judge being a little unfair to believe that in this case.
SayItLoud
(1,702 posts)The attnys see and deal with him on regular basis so know about his style, juries see him one and done and can be influenced by his style.
He's a judge with a lifetime appointment and a bad temper.
Many end up like this. Probably most.
It's a good example of needing to amend the Constitution to make judgeships 20 year appointments, not life.
olegramps
(8,200 posts)at140
(6,110 posts)In fact no one should serve in the government over 20 years,
including congress people, bureaucrats, justices on supreme court, and all other judges.
obamanut2012
(26,158 posts)MosheFeingold
(3,051 posts)This guy is too strong.
pazzyanne
(6,559 posts)Is Sessions pulling strings somehow? Seems to me I heard this judge wants to get this trial finished ASAP. Who else has that agenda? Not trying to start a new conspiracy, just questions I have about this based on things we know about the tRump administration.
CincyDem
(6,407 posts)Every judge in the district wants to move chit through ASAP. Was that way well before sessions and whats-his-name so I don't think there's anything behind it from a conspiracy point of view.
pazzyanne
(6,559 posts)I feel better now. I find I am developing a very suspicious attitude toward all things tRump.
emulatorloo
(44,211 posts)sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)words of my unnecessary outbursts."
💙🇺🇸🌊
Squinch
(51,052 posts)incident might work in the prosecution's favor.
The jury has watched this guy reaming the prosecution all over the place. If they were present for the request to have this witness in court, and then saw the judge yelling again at the prosecutors for having him in court, maybe that will make the jury question the judge's judgment.
Again, though, for all I know all that took place out of the presence of the jury, and all they've seen is the yelling at the prosecutors.
DURHAM D
(32,611 posts)dchill
(38,562 posts)BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)depending on the verdict because of that judge's behavior.
He must have caught all sorts of hell from colleagues. Certainly the media has been talking about it almost non-stop. It's one thing show-boating like a Judge Judy if the trial was being broadcast publicly and another thing when the trial isn't being broadcast... yet what he has been doing was so bad that it bubbled out to the legal commentators and was pretty much overtaking the subject matter of the trial itself.
madaboutharry
(40,234 posts)Only the defendant in a criminal trial has the right of appeal. The government can not appeal. An acquittal is permanent. It is in The Constitution.
BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)LiberalArkie
(15,730 posts)I think they might might try again if they loose with the unpresented evidence.
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)Otherwise 5th amendment protects you from double jeopardy.
LiberalArkie
(15,730 posts)I think of how many times they tried Al Capone before they got him. There is always something as long as they don't use all their evidence.
sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)shameful, but, in this bizarro environment, it is hardly surprising.
💙🇺🇸🌊
BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)might be possible!
sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)thbobby
(1,474 posts)than an acquittal. With a hung jury, perhaps an argument could be made against this judge.
BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)I.e., based on judicial misconduct.
justie18
(169 posts)The prosecution does not have a chance for an appeal because of double jeopardy.
BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)But left it up as an error so others can see the responses to that and how it can't happen due to 5th amendment -
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fifth_amendment
R Merm
(409 posts)BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)I have had relatives who were judges and/or worked in the courts.
But as a federal judge hearing a criminal case, there is a bigger issue because we are talking "beyond a reasonable doubt" (criminal) vs "preponderance of the evidence" (civil), and judges inserting themselves into the process to defacto "sow doubt" is not cool.
malthaussen
(17,217 posts)... well, they were gonna appeal, anyway. This is starting to smell like mistrial territory.
-- Mal
bucolic_frolic
(43,364 posts)Keeps the courts busy, and pays their salaries
Toorich
(391 posts)...." It is better 100 guilty persons should escape than that one innocent person should suffer." - B. Franklin - Founding Father
But also never forget, " First we give him a fair trial, then we hang him." - Judge Roy Bean-Law west of the Pecos
still_one
(92,454 posts)selected.
This is an outrage
still_one
(92,454 posts)elmac
(4,642 posts)with a rightwing nutjob fascist pig judge, that sucks.
redstateblues
(10,565 posts)Historic NY
(37,454 posts)Rudy admits his client is a serial liar. I've testified in numerous trials in local-state-federal courts. The truth will set you free.
VaBchTgerLily
(231 posts)or the prosecution should file a complaint to get another judge
Equinox Moon
(6,344 posts)I wonder if it is time for him to step down? Dementia symptoms can include inappropriate outbursts.
Radio show, Norman Goldman, covered this topic of the judge having clear bias and how problematic that is. Usually, judges lean toward the prosecution, but clearly not in this case. I look forward to hearing what Norm has to say tonight about these new developments.
roscoeroscoe
(1,370 posts)Is that a judge may be a hard ass so as seem unbiased
Zoonart
(11,887 posts)heard one legal specialist posit that the judge is behaving this way towards the prosecution so that the defense has no grounds for appeal based upon judicial bias.
SunSeeker
(51,745 posts)Paladin
(28,277 posts)More_Cowbell
(2,191 posts)"On Thursday morning Ellis said he had not read the transcript filed this morning but was satisfied that I could well have been wrong about that.
If he'd read the transcript, he would have *known* he was wrong.
https://www.courthousenews.com/airbnb-exec-on-deck-for-manafort-fraud-trial/
Nitram
(22,913 posts)We're lucky he overstepped the bounds because now he has told the jury that he makes mistakes.
sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)Marcuse
(7,530 posts)But what stood out in the court proceedings Friday is when the judge, T.S. Ellis, a Reagan-appointee, hammered the special counsels office on the idea that the charges against Manafort have nothing to do with Russian election interference.
Ellis said that he believes the special counsel is only interested in Manafort to squeeze him for information that would reflect on Mr. Trump or lead to his impeachment.