He can't behave

E Jean Carroll took the witness stand on Wednesday morning in her defamation trial against Donald Trump, marking the first time she has confronted the ex-president in a courtroom.

[...]

As Carroll spoke, Trump complained audibly and appeared to double down on defamatory denials, her lawyer said during a morning break in the proceedings.

“Mr Trump has been sitting at the back table and has been loudly saying things throughout Ms Carroll’s testimony,” said attorney Shawn Crowley.

“It’s loud enough for us to hear it,” Crowley said, so “I imagine it’s loud enough for the jury to hear it.”

Before court resumed after the break, Judge Lewis Kaplan cautioned: “I’m just going to ask Mr Trump to take special care to keep his voice down when conferring with counsel, so that the jury does not overhear.”

Trump did not heed Kaplan’s instruction.

  Guardian

Shocking.

Kaplan 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.

“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.”

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

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

“You can’t either.”

He should have been gagged right on the spot.

So, what's with the hand?

His attorney got schooled, too.

He is not required by law to attend these court dates.  His liability has already been adjudicated. 

His lawyer, Alina Habba, also seemed to lose whatever control she had in court, with the judge repeatedly telling her to sit down. Habba then annoyed Kaplan further by asking for proceedings to be adjourned on Thursday, the scheduled date for his mother-in-law’s funeral – even though he had denied this request on prior occasions.

Kaplan told Habba he would not entertain another argument on it. “None. None. Do you understand that word, none?”

He told Habba to sit. She did not.

“I said sit down.”

Habba did not, and said she wanted to bring up another issue.

“I don’t like to be spoken to that way, your honor,” Habba commented. “I will ask you to refrain from speaking to me that way.”

Kaplan repeated to Habba that her request for an adjournment was denied.

“Sit down.”

At another point during the day, Habba started to address the court while sitting down. “When you speak in this courtroom or any other courtroom in this building, you stand up,” Kaplan said stiffly.

  Guardian

I'm getting the idea Judge Kaplan doesn't like these incompetent and disrespectful asshats.  But I do wonder if he's setting up a successful appeal...

There's a whole string of posts from this account, starting here, if you'd like to read the whole hot mess.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE 09:52 pm:

UPDATE 01/18/2024:

Second day's hearing here.