Trump judge snaps as lawyer cites Melania's mother's death as reason for delay
A testy exchange between Donald Trump's attorney and the civil court judge overseeing his fraud trial began with Chris Kise using the former president's late mother-in-law as an excuse and ended with Engoron declaring "I WILL NOT GRANT ANY FURTHER EXTENSIONS."
Angry emails between Kise and Engoron were revealed Wednesday when the judge blocked Trump's unusual request to deliver his own closing arguments in his $370 million fraud trial, in which the former president denies wrongdoing.
Permission was denied after Trump's lawyers failed to agree by Jan. 9 that their client would limit himself to the facts of the case and not insult Engoron, his staff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, or the New York State court system.
"He may not impugn myself, my staff, plaintiff, plaintiff's staff, or the New York State Court System," Engoron said. "He may not deliver a campaign speech."
Kise refused to agree.
"The preconditions and prior restraints you propose are fraught with ambiguities, creating the substantial likelihood for misinterpretation or unintended violation," Kise argued, according to court records.
Engoron, in his reply, argued his were normal limitations imposed on those delivering closing arguments and demanded a response by 4 p.m. which, court records show, Kise did not meet.
Kise's subsequent excuses for not replying immediately included that Trump was "in the air," then that his mother-in-law Amalija Knavs had passed away. The latter prompted Kise to demand closing arguments be postponed until Jan. 29.
Engoron declined.
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"I am sorry to hear the sad news," Engoron wrote. "Every appearance of Mr. Trump requires court officers, court clerks, administrators, security details, technical people, etc. to rearrange their schedules and to plan for the day."
Kise then confirmed his client would speak in court but once again failed to agree to the limitations, and frustrations began to mount.
"You will have to tell me NOW," Engoron wrote Wednesday morning. "[It] should take no more than a minute or two."
"This is very unfair," Kise spat back. "You are not allowing President Trump, who has been wrongfully demeaned and belittled by an out of control, politically motivated Attorney General, to speak about the things that must be spoken about."
"I won't debate this yet again," Engoron replied. "Take it or leave it. Now or never. You have until noon, seven minutes from now."
Court records show Kise didn't make the deadline.
Read the full exchange here.