The judge in Trump’s hush money trial delivered explicit instructions to the jury as they reentered his courtroom on Tuesday for the prosecution’s closing arguments.
Judge Juan Merchan directed them to disregard a closing remarks request by Trump attorney Todd Blanche to not to send the former president to jail.
Inner City Press has been live tweeting the case from the courtroom, reporting that Merchan said, “During the defense summation you heard Mr. Blanche ask you not to send the defendan to prison.”
“That was not permitted and you must not consider it. If the defendant is found guilty, sentencing will be my decision. People?” he added.
Newsweek reported that Merchan called Blanche’s comment to the jurors “outrageous.”
“Someone who’s been a prosecutor as long as you have, someone who’s been an attorney as long as you have knows that it’s highly inappropriate,” he allegedly said, according to network sources within the courtroom Tuesday.
The judge then reportedly stated that he would give curative instruction to the jury after their break, informing them that he would decide the sentencing–not them.
X users were quick to point out that Merchan has repeatedly threatened Trump with jail time for violating gag orders following the news.
“Let me get this straight: so it’s fine for Merchan to threaten to toss Trump in jail every single day for violating his ridiculous gag order, but when Blanche makes reference to Trump going to jail, he enters into a nervous meltdown,” one user wrote.
Merchan has found Trump guilty of these violations on multiple occasions, Resist the Mainstream reported.
He has imposed fines, warning that the former president risked jail by continuing to share articles from news outlets and commentators that supported his innocence and accused Merchan of being a Democratic operative presiding over a “witch hunt.”
Blanche reportedly told jurors during his closing argument Tuesday that “Cohen lied to each of you. Repeatedly,” likely referencing former Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s testimony that appeared to catch him in a lie during cross-examination.
“You cannot send someone to prison based—” Blanche continued, to which the prosecution objected. “Sustained,” Merchen swiftly responded.
“Thank you, jurors, you have been listening. This isn’t a referendum on President Trump. Thank you, jurors, for listening. This isn’t a referendum on President Trump,” Blanche said in closing.
Resist the Mainstream reported last week that Merchan cleared the courtroom to scold a Trump defense witness following another stunning admission from Cohen.
The move to vacate the press came in the wake of an incident where witness attorney Robert Costello allegedly displayed disrespect towards the judge while on the stand.
Eric Trump, present during the proceedings, expressed his disapproval of Merchan’s treatment of Costello.
“The judges treatment of Bob Costello is truly disgraceful – he will not allow him to tell his story – the same story he told Congress – as he knows it will be devastating and end this sham trial. This is not justice!” he said.
Cohen admitted earlier in the day to embezzling funds from Trump’s company by withholding money designated for a tech contractor enlisted to manipulate a CNBC poll about prominent businessmen.
The disgraced former attorney for Trump then revealed a tangled financial web involving hefty sums and political maneuvering.
