Judge Comes Down Hard on Trump and Habba, Smacks Down Attempted Chaos During First Day of E. Jean Carroll Case

Wherever disreputable fascist clown and presidential loser Donald J. Trump goes, the circus follows. The opening day of Trump’s second civil trial involving the defamation of E.Jean Carroll was a bona fide three-ring fustercluck.

E. Jean Carroll got to the meat of the matter, testifying that Trump had “shattered” her reputation as the former game show host sat glaring at her.

This followed some world-class bozo behavior from Trump’s parking garage lawyer, Alina Habba, who reportedly said, “President Trump defended himself,” before she was cut off by Kaplan, who told her: “Don’t go much farther.” Evidently, Habba explicitly violated a court order. That’s going to leave a mark. As will this:

Attorney Alina Habba requested an adjournment on Thursday so that Trump could attend his mother-in-law’s funeral. This was not the first time Habba tried to use this excuse to stall the case, and Presiding Judge Lewis Kaplan shut her down.

“The application is denied. I will hear no further argument on it,” he said.

When Habba tried to keep talking, Kaplan cut her off.

“None. Do you understand that word?” he said. “Sit down.”

Memo to Habba: it’s probably not such a good idea to put on a performance for your smelly audience of one. One gets the feeling that Habba didn’t exactly finish anywhere near the top of her law class.

Oh, and just before court adjourned for lunch, Judge Lewis Kaplan had a few words for the former guy:

Kaplan has warned Donald Trump that his right to attend court in the defamation trial under way in New York, where the former president is the defendant in a civil case brought by writer E Jean Carroll, can be forfeited if he continues to disrupt proceedings.

Carroll has been testifying this morning and Trump, sitting with his lawyer, has been grumbling about the case, loudly enough that the jury can probably hear his remarks, Carroll’s legal team has said.

The judge had already warned Trump to pipe down. Just before the court broke for lunch, Carroll’s team complained to Judge Kaplan again. He said: “Mr Trump has the right to be present here – that right can be forfeited and it can be forfeited if he is disruptive which is what has been reported to me and if he disregards court orders.”

Addressing Trump, the judge said: “Mr Trump, I hope I don’t have to consider excluding you from the trial … I understand you are probably very eager for me to do that.”

Trump responded.

“I would love it, I would love it,” he said and gestured.

The judge replied: “I know you would, you just can’t control yourself in this circumstance apparently.”

DEVELOPING…