'Disregard everything Ms. Habba just said': Trump lawyer shot down when seeking mistrial
January 17, 2024
Trump's lawyer Alina Habba was shut down on Wednesday when she moved for a mistrial in court as a jury weighs defamation damages.
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press has been posting transcripts of the conversation live from the court, revealing some of the more tense exchanges.
"Ms. Carroll, are you aware it is illegal to delete evidence?" asked Habba.
Carroll's lawyer objected.
"I move for a mistrial! Evidence has been deleted," proclaimed Habba.
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"Denied and the jury will disregard everything Ms. Habba just said," Judge Lewis Kaplan said.
Habba was trying to convey that Carroll deleted the messages and threats she got from people, used to demonstrate how much she should be owed as a result of Trump defaming her.
"You said you receive death threats daily - but you deleted them until trial?" asked Habba. "Explain what you mean."
"Explain what she means by what?" the judge asked.
"When did you stop deleting death threats?" Habba asked.
"I had not received how many there were," Carroll said.
They had a back and forth about the deleting of death threats. She stopped deleting them during the second trial, she said, the one that unfolded in May of 2023.