Donald Trump's courtroom outbursts and volatility when he took the stand in the $250 million financial fraud trial being held in Judge Arthur Engoron's courtroom will cripple his legal team's efforts to win an appeal after the trial concluded.
That is the opinion of Columbia University law professor John C. Coffee Jr., speaking with the New York Times.
From the moment the former president took the stand he was combative, argued with the judge, made personal attacks on the courthouse employees and New York Attorney General Letitia James and had to be admonished by Judge Engoron who, in one instance, pleaded with Trump attorney Christopher Kise to "control' his client.
According to Coffee, appeals court judges don't take kindly to trial participants wildly attacking judges and the judicial system, which will undercut the inevitable Trump legal team appeal in a case where Engoron has already ruled there is evidence of guilt.
According to the Washington Post report, Coffee suggested Trump "may be working against his team’s efforts to build the most effective appeal by focusing so much of his own energy on attacking Engoron."
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In an interview, Coffee predicted, "I think Trump’s rather volatile performance … [and his] occasional moments of rage does hurt him, because judges basically respect the judiciary and don’t like to be insulted by defendants.”
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