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    Judge Rebukes Trump Witness, Clears Courtroom in Contentious Hush-Money Case

    nephilaBy Top News 5 Mins Read

    Assistant Manhattan DA who worked in Alvin Bragg’s office says his colleagues are embarrassed that Alvin Bragg brought this case against Trump. “It’s destroyed the integrity of my old office.”  see clip below

    On Monday, a witness defending former President Donald Trump in his hush-money case faced a stern rebuke from the judge, who ordered the courtroom emptied, leaving jurors and attendees in disbelief.

    The abrupt sealing of the Manhattan courtroom by Judge Juan Merchan followed testimony by Robert Costello, a former advisor to Michael Cohen. Costello has publicly criticized Cohen’s reliability as a witness for District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Once a conduit between Cohen and the White House during Trump’s first term, Costello has since distanced himself from Cohen, accusing his former client of lying to stay out of prison and blaming Trump for his conviction for lying to Congress.

    During questioning from Trump’s legal team, Costello grew visibly frustrated as Bragg’s prosecutors interrupted him, prompting him to raise his voice. This behavior drew the ire of Judge Merchan, who ordered the jury out of the room and confronted Costello directly.

    “Mr. Costello, I’d like to discuss proper decorum in my courtroom, OK?” Judge Merchan remarked after the jury had been cleared. “Right,” Costello replied. Merchan emphasized that Costello had no right to “act out” if he disagreed with rulings on objections.

    “I’m the only one who can strike testimony in the courtroom. If you don’t like my ruling, you don’t give me side-eye and you don’t roll your eyes. Do you understand that?” Merchan asked. “I understand that,” Costello replied.

    The situation escalated when Costello refused to break eye contact with the judge. “Are you staring me down right now?” Merchan asked. He then ordered the courtroom emptied of reporters and the public to address Costello’s behavior privately. A transcript later released indicated that Merchan warned Costello his conduct was contemptuous and threatened to remove him from the stand if he continued.

    “Your conduct is contemptuous right now. I’m 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,” Merchan told Costello. He also instructed Trump’s attorney Emil Bove to control his witness, warning that he would strike Costello’s entire testimony if the behavior persisted.

    Judge Merchan further instructed Costello to give concise answers to questions about Cohen, suggesting that Costello was intentionally providing lengthy responses to cast doubt on Cohen’s testimony against Trump.

    “Listen to the question and answer the question,” Merchan said. Costello attempted to interject, but the judge cut him off, stating, “No. No. This is not a conversation.”

    Michael Cohen is a complete train wreck for Alvin Bragg and Matthew Colangelo. Not only is he a serial perjurer, a disbarred attorney, and a convicted felon, but now we are learning he stole money from President Trump. Cohen is nothing more than a liar with an axe to grind against Trump. – Mike Davis  see vid below

    After reporters were allowed back into the courtroom, Costello appeared visibly frustrated, his face red and wearing a frown. Bove resumed questioning Costello about his involvement in the case where Trump is alleged to have directed a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. However, most of Bove’s questions were met with objections from Bragg’s team. Earlier, Costello expressed his frustration visibly and audibly in response to the prosecution’s objections.

    Costello concluded his testimony by recounting how Cohen was nearly “suicidal” after FBI agents raided his office shortly before he was charged. “He was suicidal that day and acting very manic,” Costello recalled. He testified that Cohen assured him, “I swear to God, Bob, I don’t have anything on Donald Trump.”

    “Michael Cohen said numerous times that President Trump knew nothing about those payments, that he did this on his own, and he repeated that numerous times,” Costello stated.

    Trump’s legal team views Costello as crucial in undermining Cohen’s credibility, portraying him as a key witness who might sway the jurors. With closing arguments approaching, jurors are expected to begin deliberations soon, potentially concluding the high-profile case within the week.

    Major Points

    • Courtroom Drama: Judge Juan Merchan rebuked Robert Costello, a witness for Donald Trump, leading to the courtroom being cleared of jurors and attendees due to Costello’s contentious behavior during questioning.
    • Witness Frustration: Costello, a former advisor to Michael Cohen, expressed frustration as prosecutors interrupted his testimony, prompting the judge to address his behavior directly.
    • Judge’s Warning: Merchan warned Costello that his conduct was contemptuous and threatened to remove him from the stand if he continued to act out, emphasizing the importance of proper courtroom decorum.
    • Testimony on Cohen: Costello testified about Cohen’s state of mind during the FBI raid and reiterated that Cohen had repeatedly stated Trump knew nothing about the hush-money payments.
    • Legal Strategy: Trump’s legal team relies on Costello to cast doubt on Cohen’s credibility, aiming to influence the jury as closing arguments approach and deliberations are set to begin soon.

    By TL Holcomb – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News

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