Judge rejects Trump's request for a mistrial in his civil fraud case
The judge in Donald Trump `s civil fraud case denied his bid for a mistrial Friday, rejecting claims from the former president's lawyers that the proceedings are poisoned by political bias.
Trump's lawyers had argued that Judge Arthur Engoron irreparably harmed Trump's right to a fair trial through “astonishing departures from ordinary standards of impartiality.”
They cited his rulings against Trump, the prominent role that the judge's chief law clerk plays in court, the clerk's political donations and what the defense called Engoron's “appearance of impropriety” in sharing articles about the case in his high school alumni newsletter.
Engoron declared Friday that the complaints were meritless.
“My principal law clerk does not make rulings or issue orders — I do,” Engoron wrote, saying that the decisions are his alone and adding: “I stand by each and every ruling, and they speak for themselves.”
As for the newsletter, “none of this has anything to do with, much less does it interfere with, my presiding fairly, impartially, and professionally over the instant dispute, which I have now been doing for more than three years, and which I intend to do until its conclusion,” he wrote.
Trump lawyer Alina Habba responded that the judge had “refused to take responsibility” for what she called 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 said in a statement.
Friday's ruling came a day after an appeals judge at least temporarily lifted a gag order that Engoron had imposed on the parties and attorneys in the case to clamp down on comments about court staffers, particularly chief law clerk Allison Greenfield, who has ended up under a microscope during the trial.
A message seeking comment was sent Friday to state Attorney General Letitia James' office, which brought the civil case now on trial.