Judge Merchan to Robert Costello: "Are you staring me down?"

[Irish_Dem]

Source: CNN

Judge Juan Merchan has asked to "take a minute" and told the jury to step out.

"Mr. Costello you're to remain seated," the judge told witness in a raised voice.

After another sustained objection, witness Robert Costello rolled his eyes and let out an audible sigh side, glancing at Merchan.

"I want to discuss proper decorum in my courtroom," the judge says.

Merchan also said, "You don't give me a side eye and you don't roll your eyes."

"When there’s a witness on the stand, if you don’t like my ruling, you don’t say 'jeez,' you don’t say strike it," Merchan says.

Then Costello held a long glare at the judge.

"Are you staring me down?" Merchan said.
Then Merchan said "clear the courtroom."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-20-24/h_fc850e757ca8063da63e81e6153dcdd7

[LiberalFighter]

1. Costello looks like a pimp

[Irish_Dem]

4. He sure is full of himself.

He is only a witness and taking on the judge during the trial, in the courtroom.

[LiberalFighter]

6. I hope Costello does it again and is held in contempt.

[Irish_Dem]

9. So if Costello does it again, he gets fined?

What a jackass.

[rsdsharp]

35. The judge told him if he does it again, he would be taken from the stand, and his entire testimony stricken.

[Irish_Dem]

38. Wow. Good for Merchan.

[LiberalFighter]

2. That site has a bit more info than the notes MSNBC is providing.

[Irish_Dem]

3. I know, I want all the gory details from today.

The Merchan actions blow by blow.

[LiberalFighter]

8. It is a shame they don't broadcast it.

Keep the jury members out.
Closeups of Trump and witnesses.

[Irish_Dem]

10. I'd pay cash money to see it up close and personal.

And a close up of the judge banging his gavel to clear the courtroom.
Lecturing the dimwit Costello.

[Raven123]

5. I'm guessing Costello isn't coming off as credible

[Irish_Dem]

7. The jury probably doesn't like him disrespecting the judge.

And once you don't like someone, you usually don't trust them either.

[Oopsie Daisy]

55. Will that distrust "rub-off" on the defense lawyers?

[Irish_Dem]

56. Yes. They picked Costello as their only witness.

[ShazzieB]

11. Yes. It sounds like he's coming off as a huge jerk.

I feel like I need to go over to CNN and start reading from the beginning of Costello taking the stand. It sound like he has a major beef with Merchan, but I have no idea what it is.

[Irish_Dem]

12. Perhaps Costello is acting out for Trump.

Trying to impress Trump so as to get a position in Trump's administration if he gets installed back into the WH.

[Biophilic]

13. All of trump's people seem to think they are better than anyone else.

I guess they figure that when trump becomes king they will rule the world with him. Idiots.

[Irish_Dem]

15. Yes the entitlement and grandiosity are stunning.

Like Rudy taunting authorities to arrest him.

[et tu]

17. well he will

always need a change and coke and hamberder-
so he needs some flunkies~

[Irish_Dem]

20. Trump is planning many crimes so he needs a lot of people to do the dirty work.

[getagrip_already]

14. Clear the court room doesnt sound good....

Assuming he is sending the press and observers out but keeping the lawyers, that isn't a good sign for what is coming next.

[Irish_Dem]

16. Yes I don't think a judge clears the courtroom without good reason.

I think he chews out the witness and Trump attorneys.

[LiberalFighter]

41. Lawrence O'Donnell indicated he has never heard that before.

[Tree Lady]

18. why did the prosecution call him as witness?

sounded like he was more for the defense?

[Irish_Dem]

19. Costello is a defense witness.

Trump's attorneys called him as a witness.

[getagrip_already]

21. They didnt, he was a defense witness

And a train wreck at that.

The jury was seen looking at each other, smirking, and rolling their eyes.

He was a complete off the rails disaster. Not what the defense wants to end their case with, but they are.

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

34. shrug emoji

?1621889878

[iluvtennis]

22. Robert Costello says Michael Cohen said Trump wasn't aware of Stormy Daniels payment

Trump lawyer Emil Bove said the defense wants to focus on whether Cohen said if he knew Trump was aware of the payment to Stormy Daniels.

Costello said on the stand that Cohen said numerous times that Trump didn't know, that Cohen did it on his own and that Cohen repeated that numerous times.

More excerpts about his testimony is here - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/live-blog/trump-trial-live-updates-rcna152980

Also see this DU post - https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218964394 where Katie Phang reports the detail of Costello's testimony.
======
Cohen had testified that he lied to Costello about the Stormy Daniels payment and TSF's knowledge of it as he was still fully on-board as "the fixer" and was protecting the situation.

[msongs]

23. one susp-ects this is all choreographed by trump and the witness wioll be well compensated nt

[Irish_Dem]

25. Yes I wonder what the compensation will be?

Cash?

Promise of a position in a future Trump administration?

Judicial position?

[Warpy]

24. The spanking that ensued must have been epic

Judge Marchan doesn't strike me as someone who would long tolerate a defense attorney mugging and winking his way through a defense of any client.

[Irish_Dem]

26. Was the attorney acting out too?

I thought it was Costello, the witness.

Oh yes I would love to hear what Merchan said after he cleared the courtroom.

[Warpy]

29. Can't tell the players without a scorecard

not that I'd be able to read one.

Thanks.

But the spanking was most likely still epic.

[Irish_Dem]

30. Oh I have no doubt.

Costello got spanked hard.

[exoskeleton]

54. The Spanking

is why we need cameras in the courtroom. Amongst 1000 other reasons.

[Demobrat]

43. Lawrence read the transcript on his show.

I’m sure the video will be up soon.

[Irish_Dem]

46. This will be good. LOD reading Judge Merchan's words.

[peppertree]

27. Scolded like the overgrown child he is

Just like the defendunce.

[FakeNoose]

28. Judge Merchan is a badass

[Irish_Dem]

33. Yes his extensive experience is showing.

He knows what he is doing and in charge of his courtroom.

Unlike some of the other Trump trial judges who have no idea what they are doing.

[AllaN01Bear]

31. cnn was a good read for me . good to see the whole pic. thanks

[Irish_Dem]

32. Yes CNN had the details out right away.

YW

[LT Barclay]

36. On the plus side of this, soon the judges are going to have to draw a hard line with this group or their little fiefdoms

will fall apart.
Same to you SCOTUS.

[Irish_Dem]

39. Good point. Trump is taking a wrecking ball to their court rooms.

Trump wants to be in charge and in control.

There is a power struggle. Trump will have an inexperienced judge for lunch.

Trump is doing the same to SCOTUS.

[Evolve Dammit]

37. Playing for an audience of one, or just cult inoculated??

[Irish_Dem]

40. Probably some of both.

Entitled, arrogant, superior.
Used to getting what he wants.
He is the star of the show, the judge is just a prop.

Also most likely Costello wants something from Trump.
A place in the administration if Trump gets back into the WH.

[LiberalFighter]

42. Costello only stated "I understand".

Not once did he apologize.

[Irish_Dem]

47. He's a jackass.

[Lovie777]

51. He also lied under oath.........................

dictatorship - own the judges, justices, courts..................

That in itself contributes the downfall of "freedom". Control law enforcement and military, and make sure there is a boogeyman/person to blame.

Religion is also a major factor in taking "freedom" away, i.e. their gawd approves.

[NBachers]

44. There's a detailed and emphatically informative video of Lawrence's observations here:

[Irish_Dem]

49. Incredible.

So glad that LOD was present for the unfolding of events regarding Costello.

We got a first hand account of the very unusual courtroom drama.

Merchan did an outstanding job.


Edit to add: Many thanks for posting.

[Doctoris Extincti]

45. Heartwarming :)

The RumpMobsters repeatedly show who they and Great Leader are.

There is some satisfaction in that.

Sadly, such satisfaction is all we are likely to get from this trial.

Because it most likely this will end with a hung jury as conviction or acquittal must be a unanimous decision and there must be at least one committed Rumper on the Jury.

[Irish_Dem]

48. Yes it will be somewhat miraculous if there is a conviction.

But the prosecution made an excellent case.
The evidence is abundant and clear.
A crime was committed.

Welcome to DU!

[Doctoris Extincti]

50. You are, of course, quite right that the alleged criminal acts were almost certainly committed (and bragged about)

However, there will be no actual crime without a criminal conviction.

Well, unless you count the crime of lack of conviction which seems all too likely.

Still though, we can all hope for a miracle, after all, the FSM is watching


Thanks for the welcome.

Looking for shelter from the storm which Heather Cox Richardson foretells is coming ever closer

There is a curious dynamic at work in politics these days. Trump does not appear to be trying to court voters to his standard. If he were, he would be reaching out to Nikki Haley voters and trying to moderate his stances. Instead, he is rejecting her voters and doubling down on extreme positions. Rather than trying to appeal to swing voters, he seems to be trying to whip up his right-wing base to engage in violence on his behalf.

In Minnesota on Friday, Trump echoed fascists when he told supporters, "No matter how hateful and corrupt the communists and criminals we are fighting against may be, you must never forget this is not a nation that belongs to them. This is a nation that totally belongs to you. It belongs to you. This is your home, this is your heritage."

Saturday, at the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association in Dallas, Texas, Trump floated the idea that he could throw out the constitutional amendment limiting a president to two terms. “You know, FDR 16 years—almost 16 years—he was four terms. I don’t know, are we going to be considered three-term? Or two-term?” he asked the crowd. Some yelled, “Three!”

In the same speech, Trump told attendees that the Second Amendment “is very much on the ballot” in November, and he urged gun owners to vote and to “be rebellious.” Then he told the crowd that Biden’s actions were such that if he “were a Republican, he would have been given the electric chair, they would have brought back the death penalty.”...

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-20-2024

[Irish_Dem]

52. Yes our future could be quite grim.

The coming autocratic wave may soon hit us.

There is little doubt about Trump's plans, and his alignment with the dictators of the world.

Hopefully the FSM is on the side of right.

[Best_man23]

53. "We don't need a criminal lawyer"

"We need a 'criminal' lawyer."

Judge Merchan should have cited him with contempt and let him sit in a cell overnight. At minimum, Merchan should refer Costello to the NY Bar for possible sanction. IMO, Costello's behavior yesterday is unbecoming of any officer of the court (and I'm not a lawyer).

[Irish_Dem]

57. My read of Merchan is that he does not want to get sidetracked

too much and become part of the Trump three ring circus.

He will do what it takes to maintain the dignity of the court and keep the jury
and witnesses safe. But he wants to get this trial over. He wants to wrap it up.

[FakeNoose]

58. In other words he's the opposite of Judge Ito

'Memba him?

[Irish_Dem]

59. Merchan is the opposite of a number of judges.

Including two other judges working on Trump trials.
And the Supreme Court.