Judge Merchan has a 'tool' to make Trump's lawyers 'rein in their client': ex-prosecutor

Judge Juan Merchan, the jurist overseeing Donald Trump's criminal case in New York over an alleged hush-money cover up scheme, is hanging something over the head of the former president's attorneys, a former prosecutor said on Saturday.

Legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti appeared on MSNBC, where he was asked why Merchan hasn't ruled on whether Trump has violated an expanded gag order imposed upon him in the case. The order limits Trump's attacks on potential witnesses and jurors in the case, and prosecutors have alleged at least 10 separate violations by Trump, according to public records in the court system.

"Why didn't he rule after the first 10 times he allegedly violated the gag order?" the host asked the attorney.

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Referencing an ancient moral parable, Mariotti replied, "There is an image of the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head."

"I think the judge wants this ruling hanging over the head of, not so much Trump who let's face it does whatever he wants to do, but over Trump's lawyer," he added. "Trump's lawyers know that, at the end of the day, the judge is the one who decides what questions they can ask, what evidence comes in, ultimately may sentence their client."

He continued, "They really don't want to be on the judge's bad side, and he is using this as a tool to try and get them to rein in their client as much as possible before he makes a ruling."

The host responded, "Oh, Renato, that's real good. That's real good. I love it when I hear stuff I have not heard before."

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