“He’s Mad He Got Caught”: Judge in Trump’s NY Fraud Trial To Allow “Aggressive” Defense To Avoid Appeal

William FurneyNov 17, 2023

Minute Read

Judge Arthur Engoron does not want to see his verdict overturned or have a mistrial in the fraud trial in New York that threatens Donald Trump’s real estate empire, and so is giving the defense wide scope to make their arguments, a legal expert says.

Fraud Finding

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The judge has ruled in proceedings underway in Manhattan that there is “convincing evidence” that years of fraud was committed by the Trump Organization. As punishment, he canceled several of its licenses to do business.

Fraud Defendants

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Trump, his adult sons Donald Jr. and Eric, as well as executives at the Trump Organization have all been charged with fraud. Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the case, is seeking a fine of at least $250 million.

‘$2 Billion Fraud’

The court has found that around $2 billion in fraud was committed by the Trump Organization, in vastly overinflating the value of its many prestigious properties — including Trump Tower in Manhattan. The reason for the exaggerated values, the court heard from the prosecution, was to secure favorable loans from banks as well as insurance.

Judge Engoron ‘Has Decided the Case’

Case Western Reserve University law professor Eric Chaffee, who specializes in financial fraud, said Judge Engoron had decided on a verdict and he didn’t want his decision overturned on appeal. So he was, the professor suggested, being careful to allow the defense, which began arguments this week, enough time to make their case.

‘Wide Latitude’ for Trump Defense

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Professor Chaffee told Newsweek that Judge Engoron was “likely to give former President Trump and his counsel wide latitude in presenting testimony. He has publicly stated that he does not want a retrial or to be reversed. This type of latitude often reflects that a judge has already made up their mind in a case.”

‘Aggressive Defense’

The professor continued: “We are likely to see the aggressive tone toward the court from earlier in the case reappear as evidence progresses. Former President Trump has consistently claimed that this case is about politics, rather than justice.”

No Jury

There is no jury in the case, meaning Judge Engoron will issue the verdict on his own. Trump has repeatedly sparred with the judge, criticizing him on social media and to reporters outside the courtroom.

Trump Bans

Clashes with the judge and Trump’s social media attacks on others in the case, including Attorney General James, led Judge Engoron to impose a gag order on Trump. But he soon found that Trump broke it, twice, and gave him two fines totalling $15,000.

Trump’s Defense

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Trump, 77, argues that the case is politically motivated by Democrats trying to stop him from becoming president again, as he campaigns for the Republican nomination for the 2024 race. He claims that Attorney General James, a Democrat, is conducting a “witch hunt” against him, and his legal team says the prosecution doesn’t understand property valuations or how the real estate business works.

Taking the Stand

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Trump and his adult sons and also daughter Ivanka have all testified in the trial, and the former president may be recalled to the stand as the case reaches a conclusion, this time testifying for the defense.

Trump’s Latest AG Attack

In a new post on his Truth Social network attacking Attorney General James again, Trump wrote that she was “racist.” He also said he was a “victim” in the case.

AG ‘Smirking’ in Court

Trump ranted: “Racist A.G. Letitia James is smirking all day long from her seat in Court, as New York continues to set records in murder and other violent crimes, and businesses flee to other States.”

‘Trump-Hating AG’

He continued: “You have a (Trump Hating!) Attorney General who’s seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages when not a single penny was lost by these banks … You can see from the reaction of A.G. James, every morning from that seat, that she is enjoying this, enjoying it a bit too much.”

Reaction to Rant

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Online responses to Trump’s latest outburst in the case were mixed. One person, Nay, writing on X, formerly Twitter, said:

“He’s such a baby! He’s mad he got caught and has to be held accountable for his actions. He’s mad because he KNOWS he’s guilty. He’s trying to intimidate the judge, the prosecutor, and the jury with these disgusting rants that have no relevance to ANY truth. I for one believe the judge should throw the book at him, and then his lawyers should be disbarred. A 70-year sentence would be just enough for me.”

Why AG in Court?

Another X user, BarbReilly, was more supportive of Trump, asking of Attorney General James:

“What I want to know is WHY she’s sitting in the court room… NOT DOING A DAMN BIT OF HER JOB… while NYC crime runs unchecked… Leticia James is in dereliction of her DUTY to NYC.”

‘Dangerous Precedent’

Still another person on X, Brandy Davis, said: “There isn’t a jury. No matter how you feel about Trump, please actually look at this case. Cover up his name as you read if it helps. This sets a very dangerous precedent if they succeed. My grandma used to call it cutting off your nose to spite your face.”