'Screw-up' by Trump's fraud case lawyers leaves experts baffled: 'Mind-blowing'

An apparent legal “screw-up” by Donald Trump’s lawyers has left experts baffled.

New York Judge Arthur Engoron said Monday that the fraud trial of the former president was being held without a jury because Trump’s team had not requested one.

"Trump isn't getting a jury trial in his $250m civil fraud suit brought against him by New York AG James because his legal team didn't request one on the paperwork,” The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell reported.

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And legal experts reacted with shock – particularly as Trump has left the trial in the hands of a judge he has repeatedly attacked, even calling him 'rogue' minutes before the start of Monday's hearing.

"So Alina Habba didn't demand a jury trial?!" wrote MSNBC legal analyst Katie Phang, according to Salon. "I wonder how Trump feels about this screw-up by his legal team?"

Former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman said the decision was "mind-blowing."

"For Trump to have his fate in the hands of this judge, whom he has vilified, is malpractice by his lawyers and very ominous for him," Litman said on X.

"It's incredibly easy to ask for a jury trial. You just check a box on a form. Hard to believe that Trump understood that his lawyers hadn't done it when he's been savaging the judge who is now the factfinder in his huge fraud trial.”

And attorney Andrew Fleischman wrote, "I honestly can't believe that any lawyer hired on such an important case could make this mistake.

"But I also can't think of any strategic reason you'd want a bench trial in front of a judge who just sanctioned your lawyers for making frivolous arguments."