“Glaringly obvious” incompetence on display as judge tells jury to “disregard everything Ms. Habba just said”
Trump lawyer Alina Habba struggled through her cross-examination of E. Jean Carroll on Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing the defamation case against the former president, repeatedly admonished the attorney for running afoul of his court rules and general procedures.
Prior to Carroll’s testimony, Habba requested an adjournment so that Trump could attend his mother-in-law’s funeral.
“The application is denied. I will hear no further argument on it. None. Do you understand that word? None. Please sit down,” Kaplan, a Bill Clinton appointee, told Habba about the motion that he already denied.
Kaplan repeatedly interrupted Habba’s questions, including when she began to read from a document that had not been formally entered into evidence, sending the trial to a recess.
HABBA: But my client has to choose between attending his mother in law’s funeral…
KAPLAN: I have ruled. Sit down.
HABBA: I don’t like to be spoken to that why. Please refrain. I am asking for an adjournment for a funeral.
KAPLAN: Denied. Sit down.
I’m sure she’s good at something…
That’s going to be so much ammo for Trump… I’m sure it was meant to waste time, but really? They couldn’t let him go to a funeral?
I hate that man with every single fiber of my being, and even a bunch of fibers from others, but still if it’s a real thing then why not let him go? The propagandists are going to have a field day with this one… :/
He’s allowed to go to the funeral. He doesn’t need to be in the courtroom, but wants to be there because it lets him get sound bites to play into his victim complex and run fundraisers. The judge refused to delay the case for Trump’s absence because Trump isn’t required to be in court.
He is already allowed to go because he’s not required in court—his attorneys are and they are present. What Habba is doing is asking the court to delay the whole trial. Again.