Time to end 'special treatment' for Trump after fraud trial courtroom rant: ex-prosecutor

Reacting to Donald Trump's frantic rant in Judge Arthur Engoron's courtroom on Thursday, when the judge allowed him to speak while not under oath during closing arguments, former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance claimed the former president should no longer get any more free passes in the courtroom.

Writing on her Civil Discourse Substack platform, the ex-prosecutor stated there was nothing normal about a judge letting someone on trial make a statement during closing arguments and that Trump took advantage of it to spew lies aimed at riling up his fans.

As Vance explained, after that outburst, it is time for the judges in all of his cases to stop extending Trump extra courtesies just because he once served as president.

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"Other parties don’t get this sort of special treatment in court. Trump shouldn’t have received it either," she wrote. "Predictably, it did no good. It did not prevent Trump from continuing to complain that he was being treated unfairly. He went straight out of courtroom, only to tell the press that the case was a “fraud on me.” Judge Engoron may have concluded that with no jury in the box to be prejudiced by Trump’s ravings, it was easier to just let him have his way for the moment. But with Trump, no good deed goes unpunished."

She then added, "It’s time for the courts to stop giving Trump special treatment. To stop walking delicately and gingerly lest he claim foul play when he is merely subjected to procedures anyone else in his position would be held accountable to. The courts, charged with delivering justice, need to stop being afraid of Trump."

Adding that no judge should allow "Trump to speak in court, and under no circumstances to a jury, unless he’s on the witness stand, testifying under oath," she added, "No more opportunity for the toddler to throw a temper tantrum that would lead to anyone else in his position being held in contempt. If judges mean for it to continue to exist, it’s time for them to show Trump that he is not above the law, not any longer."

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