A debate Tuesday about jury instructions in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial saw the judge tell off one of the former president's top lawyers, according to reporters in the courthouse.
Trump's defense rested in the Manhattan trial Tuesday, despite his vow to take the stand to clear his name of the 34 counts of falsifying business records as part of a contended hush money cover-up scheme.
Emil Bove's jury instruction requests to Justice Juan Merchan were met with frustration, according to reporter Adam Klasfeld.
"Merchan dresses down Bove about the advice of counsel defense, calling it 'disingenuous' of him to keep raising the issue after he rejected it," Klasfeld reported.
Merchan then reportedly said, "The jury will not hear that instruction from the bench, nor are you allowed to make that argument."
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Bove tried to respond, promising he wasn't trying to be "disingenuous," according to Klasfeld's reporting.
Merchan cut him off, saying that his team has been "advancing for many, many months," and it was denied. "Please don't raise it."
MSNBC legal analysts explained that the back and forth did not bode well for Trump.
"When I was leaving, the decisions were going against Trump," said former National Enquirer reporter Lachlan Cartwright to host Nicolle Wallace.
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"My colleagues reporting the same at The New York Times," explained reporter Susanne Craig. "Most everything has gone against the defense this afternoon."
"That Merchan is ruling on the jury instructions and mostly ruling in favor of the prosecution?" Wallace asked.
"Yes," Craig agreed.
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