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Court Denies Trumps Request for a Mistrial
Judge
On Friday, the judge in New York handling Donald Trump’s $250 million civil fraud case dismissed a motion for a mistrial from the former president and his co-defendants. The judge characterized the arguments presented by their defense team as “completely lacking in merit.”
Judge Arthur Engoron expressed, “Conscientiously, I cannot endorse a suggested order to show cause that lacks any merit, rendering subsequent briefing futile,” in a written statement.
Trump
Earlier this week, Donald Trump, along with his adult sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, the Trump Organization, and its top executives contended that political bias, specifically the alleged “tainting of proceedings” by Judge Engoron and his law clerk, had compromised the case. They asserted that the evidence supporting this claim was both “tangible and overwhelming.”
In their 30-page motion seeking dismissal, they highlight news stories from NPR, The New York Times, and other sources that Judge Engoron shared in his high school alumni newsletter. They contend that these stories are disparaging toward Trump. Additionally, they point to political contributions made by the judge’s law clerk to Democratic groups, labeling them as “partisan activities.”
They further incorporated pictures of Engoron and his clerk sitting adjacent to each other, alleging their collaboration in “co-judging” the case.
Judge Engoron dismissed such arguments as nonsensical.
Order
Last month, Engoron enforced a limited gag order on Trump following the former president’s posting of a photo featuring the judge’s law clerk, who shares a seating arrangement with the judge, alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, with Trump referring to her as “Schumer’s girlfriend.” This order prohibited Trump, his defense team, and the prosecution team from publicly discussing his staff.
At present, Engoron has imposed two fines on Trump — initially $5,000 and subsequently $10,000 — for violating the terms of the gag order.
Engoron has previously determined Trump and his adult sons culpable of fraud, leading to the revocation of the Trump Organization’s business certificates. This decision aligns with the stance of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who charged the former president and his business associates with inflating the value of his net worth and properties on financial statements used for loan applications. James is pursuing $250 million in compensatory damages, alongside a prohibition on the Trumps serving as officers of a business in New York and a five-year restriction on the company from participating in business transactions.