Att’y: Judge ‘lunged’ at me

There was unexpected drama at Jussie Smollet’s trial Thursday when the defense team got into a heated exchange during a sidebar with the judge — who one of the actor’s lawyers claimed “physically lunged” at her.

Moments after prosecution witness Olabinjo Osundairo acknowledged he had used the phrase “fruity ass” to refer to a man he suspected was gay, defense attorney Tamara Walker asked whether Smollett had known he had said such things.

But Judge James Linn, in front of the jury, called that line of questioning “collateral,” indicating it had no relevance to the trial because it was from an unrelated event, leading Walker to ask for the sidebar.

With the jury sent out of the room, Walker asked for a mistrial over Linn’s remark — and claimed he “physically lunged at me” in response to the request.

Linn vigorously denied the allegation.

“When you said the word ‘mistrial’ on these grounds, frankly, I was stunned you’d even consider a mistrial based on this,” the judge said.

“I marched right back behind my bench.”