The civil case involving former President Donald Trump in New York has been marked from the outset by the egregious and self-evident animosity of New York Attorney General Leticia James towards him.
Throughout Trump’s trial, the presiding judge, Arthur Engoron, has maintained this tone by making absurd statements and ridiculing the defendant. The judge in his glass home may no longer be the most appropriate individual to behurling stones at the former president.
Regarding his reputation for “smart alec” remarks, Engoron appears to have no qualms about pushing the boundaries.
Evidently, Judge Arthur Engoron, who has developed the practice of posing for the cameras during court proceedings, has published numerous shirtless photographs of himself in the newsletter for high school alumni that he manages. The photographs were initially published in the Wheatley School newsletter on the internet, but were subsequently withdrawn subsequent to an exposé by the opposition research organization Marco Polo.
Certain images, labelled “Bonus Photos,” seem to depict Judge Engoron recording his physical development at the gym. The photographs, which are displayed beneath, document his physical transformation from a slender and fragile elderly gentleman to a marginally more muscular individual. The interval between the photographs was under a year.
BREAKING: The judge presiding over Trump's NYC trial appears to have a peculiar hobby of posting half-naked photos of himself on a high school alumni newsletter he controls as reported on by @MarcoPolo501c3.
The 74-year-old judge Arthur Engoron appeared to even post a… pic.twitter.com/JW2ArmxzzN
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 7, 2023
The judge’s age, which is significantly older than the typical age of gym selfie-takers, coupled with the high-profile nature of the case he is presiding over, renders the posting of such images concerning and inconsistent with the conduct expected of a presiding judge.
It is noteworthy to mention that Trump was subject to a prohibition order issued by Engoron in response to his posts concerning trial proceedings, individuals, and proceedings.
When Trump posted his free speech opinion on the trial proceedings, the judge stated in court,” This morning one of the defendants posted on (a) social media account a disparaging, untrue, and personally identifying post about a member of my staff. Although I have since ordered the post deleted, and apparently it was, it was also emailed out to millions of other recipients.”
Thus, the judge had an issue with something that was widely disseminated in the media; however, that concerns Trump’s free expression rights and not inappropriate photographs of himself.
President Trump testified in his own defense on Monday, engaging in frequent exchanges of criticism with Judge Engoron, who reprimanded him for evading inquiries. A portion of President Trump’s time was devoted to reprimanding Engoron for prejudice in the trial, as evidenced by the latter’s habitual chuckling in response to the president’s criticism.
The president has been subject to penalties imposed by Judge Engoron due to his remarks that criticized his courtroom colleagues, disruptively interrupted the president’s attorneys, singled out President Trump’s children, and boasted about his ability to alter a jury’s verdict.
Christopher M. Kise, a lawyer for Trump, told reporters, “In my 33 years, I have not had a witness testify better. He’s not backing down. He’s told everyone the facts. Now that the American people know what’s going on, maybe something will change.”
Trump made an effort to provide the judge with a copy of the disclaimer pertaining to the contested property values; however, Engoron declined to accept it. The disclaimer would presumably nullify the accusations.
On multiple occasions, Trump has maintained that the valuation of his estate, Mar-a-Lago, was not exaggerated, but rather underestimated. The banks assessed its value in accordance with its fair market value, and they granted a loan without any complications. The loans were repaid in full, and the aforementioned institutions have never encountered an issue with any of the business transactions.
In fact, legal representatives for the Trump empire have provided evidence that Mar-a-Lago is significantly larger than the neighboring properties by an exponential margin, yet it was peculiarly assessed at $18 million by the New York Supreme Court.
Trump, who has offered evidence to support his inviolability but had it rejected by the judge, is understandably frustrated but continues to fight despite his steadfast denial. Attorneys for Trump stated to the media, “It will not impede his progress. “It is precisely what he anticipated,” he said in reference to the adversarial Democratic attorney general and the judge who was appointed to adjudicate.
Today marks Trump’s re-appearance in court, and en route there, he expressed his opinion that a mistrial ought to be declared.
According to courtroom reporters, the judge has indicated that Trump’s attorneys may submit the mistrial motion in writing.
Alina Habba, an attorney for Trump, has stated that the entire proceeding is manifestly political in nature. Additional legal representatives for the former president, Joe Tacopina and Todd Blanche, have concurred with reporters that “no facts” are being presented in the case and that the entire proceeding is exasperating.
Answering the charges, Trump stated in court Monday, “This is the opposite of fraud.” Referring to Democrat New York Attorney General Leticia James, whose office has brought the unprecedented case against the former president, ” The fraud is with her.”