While appearing on MSNBC’s “The Katie Phang Show,” Hugo Lowell of the Guardian asserted that lawyers representing Donald Trump had a less-than-favorable beginning with Judge Tanya Chutkan during a hearing, based on her body language.
Judge Put Her Face in Her Hands as Accusations Were Made About Biden
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The reporter was in Chutkan’s courtroom for the start of a trial where Trump faces charges related to his attempts to subvert the 2020 election. Judge Chutkan laid down the law about how she would conduct his trial. The Judge at one point “put her face in her hands” described Lowell, as the former President’s lawyers made accusations against Joe Biden’s administration for “coming after” him.
Chutkan Was Clearly Unhappy Based on Her “Body Language.”
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When Phang asked Lowell about the “body language” exhibited by both the former President and Judge Chutkan during the hearing, Lowell remarked that Chutkan was “clearly unhappy” with the continuous emphasis of the former President’s legal team on the potential adverse impact of the trial on their client’s 2024 Presidential campaign.
Judge Sympathetic to Some of the Arguments
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“The Judge was sympathetic to some of the Trump lawyers’ arguments. They were making the case, that you know, being a defense lawyer is difficult, especially with a client like Trump, and I think she kind of accepted that. She has a defense background herself,” explained Lowell.
But “Rolled Her Eyes” Over Arguments About “The Biden Administration Coming After Trump.”
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“But at other times, I think she kind of grew exasperated by all the discussions about politics. At one point, she had her face in her hands and rolled her eyes when there was another discussion about the Biden Administration coming after Trump,” he continued.
Trump’s Lawyers Thought Argument “Was Gonna Be a Loser and Changed Tack.”
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“So clearly that was something he thought was gonna be a loser and changed tack,” Lowell added.
Judge Chutkan Issued Trump a Gag Order Earlier This Month
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Earlier this month, Judge Chutkan imposed a gag order on former President Trump, placing restrictions on what he is allowed to say regarding the federal prosecution led by special counsel Jack Smith, which centers on Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
Order Restricts Trump From Publicly Targeting Court Personnel and Potential Witnesses
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The order explicitly restricts Trump’s ability to publicly target any court personnel, potential witnesses, or the special counsel and its staff.
Order Does Not Restrict Trump From Commenting About the Justice Department at Large
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The order did not place constraints on remarks concerning Washington, DC, where the trial will occur, nor did it limit specific comments about the Justice Department as a whole.
“Language That Presents a Danger to the Administration of Justice”
Image Credit: Shutterstock.“This is not about whether I like the language Mr. Trump uses,” Judge Tanya Chutkan said. “This is about language that presents a danger to the administration of justice.”
Trump Does Not Have “Carte Blanche to Vilify Public Servants.”
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“His presidential candidacy does not give him carte blanche to vilify public servants who are simply doing their jobs,” Chutkan added.
Trump Must Follow His Conditions of Release
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Judge Chutkan has frequently been the target of Trump’s attacks. In response, Chutkan warned the former President that any comments made by him or his attorneys could threaten the case.
“Mr. Trump is a criminal defendant. He is facing four felony charges. He is under the supervision of the criminal justice system, and he must follow his conditions of release,” Chutkan said.
“He does not have the right to say and do exactly what he pleases. Do you agree with that?” she asked John Lauro, Trump’s attorney.
“100%,” responded Lauro.
Trump’s Lawyers Say Order Contradicts “First Amendment Rights”
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Trump’s attorneys have attacked the proposed order as contradictory to their client’s First Amendment rights. A defense that Trump and his legal team fall back on again and again. Furthermore, Trump’s legal team proposed that the order was merely a means for President Joe Biden and the Justice Department to hinder Trump’s campaign efforts.
Trump Has Attacked Chutkan in Social Media Posts
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Trump has attacked Chutkan in social media posts, saying the Judge was a “biased, Trump-Hating Judge” and called special counsel Jack Smith “deranged” and a “thug,” as well as attacked individual members of Smith’s team.
Trump Described Jack Smith as a “Thug.”
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“When you start to use a word like ‘thug’ to describe a prosecutor doing their job, that wouldn’t be allowed by any other criminal defendant,” declared Chutkan.
“Just because the defendant is running a political campaign does not allow him to do whatever he wants,” she added.
Judge Complains of Trump’s “Highly Charged Language.”
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“If the message Mr. Trump wants to express is ‘my prosecution is politically motivated,’” he can do so without using “highly charged language,” the Judge went on to say.
Trump Is Just Trying to Speak Out “About the Issues of the Day,” Says Lauro
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Trump’s lawyer Lauro, at one point, attempted to accuse the special counsel’s office, through the proposed gag order, of trying “to prevent President Trump from speaking out about the issues of the day.”
“Politics Stops at This Courtroom Door.”
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Judge Chutkan explicitly said she would not tolerate such rhetoric in her courtroom.
“Politics stops at this courtroom door,” she ordered.
Trump Is a Criminal Defendant With Restrictions on Him. Biden Is Not
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Chutkan has also clearly pointed out to Lauro that Trump is a defendant facing criminal charges, which places restrictions on him, such as the prohibition against intimidating witnesses or jurors, while he awaits trial, a condition that does not apply to Joe Biden, who is not a criminal defendant.
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