The judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud case in New York City has issued a ruling following his request for a mistrial. State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron denied the request in a decision handed down late Friday, according to reports, after Trump’s attorneys argued the judge and his chief law clerk showed a “appearance of bias” against the former president.
Although state prosecutors “advocated for” the motion, Engoron denied it, stating that it was “utterly without merit” and that it would be “futile” to move forward with a full briefing schedule, according to The Epoch Times.
The former president had questioned Allison Greenfield, his chief law clerk, over her prior payments to Democratic candidates. Engoron defended both her and his own activities.
Additionally, The Epoch Times reported:
Judge Engoron, an alumnus of Wheatley School, serves as an editor for a high school newsletter, which was mentioned in the motion requesting a mistrial. Links to pieces defaming parties and counsel are openly available in the “newsletter he maintains.”
The judge refuted claims that this demonstrated his prejudice, saying that his work for the newsletter has no bearing on his ability to “presiding fairly, impartially, and professionally” in the present case.
The newsletter, which was started by Judge Engoron in 2007 to commemorate the founding of the Wheatley School Alumni Association, gained attention earlier this month when a number of well-known conservative social media users shared images of the judge appearing to be shirtless while working out.
In his decision, Engoron stated, “When an online publication mentions a graduate, including myself, I include an excerpt and/or a link, usually both.” “As a result, this case has been mentioned in entries because it is definitely newsworthy.”
“But no reasonable reader could possibly believe otherwise—I neither wrote nor contributed to any of the articles on which defendants focus,” he continued.
Regarding Greenfield, the defence lawyers’ motion cited her “partisan political contributions” to anti-Trump politicians and groups, arguing that these were “above strict limits” of $500 annually.
In making his ruling, Engoron noted that Greenfield is permitted to go over the restrictions in terms of obtaining tickets to political events or making contributions to her own campaign, given her prior Democratic candidature for a Manhattan civil court judgeship.
Furthermore, he rejected the idea that her attendance at political gatherings “sponsored by certain organizations” meant that I was responsible for the opinions and conduct of those groups and that they “should be imputed to her, and by proxy, to me.”
Greenfield’s “unprecedented role” in the trial was also mentioned by Trump’s legal team, who said that Engoron frequently “pauses to consult with her on the bench” before he “rules on most issues.” Additionally, “from her contemporaneous written notes,” he “receives.” They said that she seemed to be “co-judging” the trial as a result.
Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, said Engoron “refused to take responsibility” for what she alleged was his “failure to preside over this case in an impartial and unbiased manner.”
“We, however, remain undeterred and will continue to fight for our clients’ right to a fair trial,” she added in a statement.
Earlier, Habba ripped New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has attended the trial during some of the proceedings.