Everyone sits in front except the judge and the judge Donald Trump And his team enters court every day for his criminal trial in New York.
As Trump approached the room, reporters, other members of the public, prosecutors and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had to go through security checks and get into position and remain calm.
Sometimes the group settles in before Trump’s motorcade reaches the 17-story Art Deco building. A court official’s radio blasted, echoing off the high 83-year-old roof, announcing the former president’s arrival.
Curtis Means – Poole/Getty Images
Journalists were reminded that they would be removed from the room if court officials saw their phones. They chatter away on their laptops, their screens ablaze with notes, Gmail, Slack and Twitter.
Sometimes, Trump’s voice can be heard even before he enters the room. A ring announcer is ready to shine in his own boxing match. He spoke to cameras and several reporters in a small enclosure about 50 feet from the courtroom. The indomitable voice of one of the world’s most famous personalities echoed through the double doors.
Outside the room, Trump lashed out at Bragg. Judge Juan Merchant And the case. The former president is on trial 34 offences Falsification of business records related to so-called “hush payments” before the 2016 presidential election. He denied the charges and entered a not guilty plea.
Once Trump walked through the heavy wooden double doors — sometimes with a spring in his step, sometimes with a wooden step, always with a blank expression — his demeanor changed. He was accompanied by a team of attorneys, usually campaign staffers and, of course, Secret Service agents, who moved to the perimeter after Trump took his seat at the defense table.
He is quiet and unassuming in the room. Sometimes he appears to nod briefly. He occasionally whispers to attorneys Todd Blanch, Susan Necheles and Emile Bove.
When Mo Cha entered the room, he stood at attention and, like the others, sat down only when told to do so.
duration Jury selection, who sometimes craned his neck to the right as the jury asked New Yorkers about their social media habits and feelings about Trump. He gave the branch the same attention during his inaugural address on Tuesday.
For the most part, Trump looks straight ahead. When exactly? The computer monitor he shares with the lawyer next to him? Sure, sometimes. But mostly, he seems to look above and beyond the bustle of law clerks, whose desks give him a second-row seat to Merseyside. Is he looking at the wall? The lower third of the wall is wood paneling and the rest is painted pure white. Also hanging on the wall opposite Trump is a flat-screen television, one of four in the room. At every turn, it showcases Murchin, lawyers and Trump himself.
This was Trump’s approach not only during the first six days of the trial, but also during pre-trial hearings since taking office. Sentencing on April 4, 2023. He was warned last week about juror intimidation after he gestured and shook his head while being questioned by a former potential juror, but otherwise remained unmoved.
He has interrupted proceedings in his last two trials with visible and audible displays of displeasure in contrast to Trump’s behavior in court.
Author E. During a January defamation trial in a civil suit brought by Jean Carroll, a federal judge repeatedly threatened to throw Trump out of the courtroom.
In that case, Trump sobbed in the gallery during his testimony, and an opposing lawyer said he often “this is a witch hunt” and “this is really a hoax.”
“Mr. Trump has a right to appear in court,” the judge said. If he is disruptive and ignores the court order, that right can be forfeited.”
other Recent Civil TrialsIn a New York lawsuit in which he and others at his company were held responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent profits, Trump was often out of control. One day, lawyers in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office accused him of witness intimidation when a real estate executive’s whispers turned into loud screams after testifying – shaking his head from side to side, apparently in contempt.
The situation in this civil case is different. Trump was not required to be present and could come and go as he pleased – sometimes standing or leaving without warning, his Secret Service members swooping in. The judge in the defamation trial interrupted Carroll’s closing argument to point out that Trump had already stood up and walked out. He returned to the courtroom and left the courtroom about 30 minutes later to wait for his attorneys to finish their case before the jury announced an $83.3 million verdict against him.
Now, Trump is a criminal defendant. He must attend the entire trial and sit quietly until express permission is given.
He sought permission to spend Thursday morning in Washington, DC, watching Supreme Court arguments in a case related to another of his criminal cases. The merchant refused the request.
He asked for the trial to be adjourned for a day to attend his son’s graduation ceremony. One of his lawyers made a similar request one day in June. Merchant said the case could be, acknowledging the Trump team’s repeated efforts to delay the trial.
“If everything goes according to plan and there are no unnecessary delays, I’m sure we will be able to push back one or two of these, but if we are behind schedule, we won’t be able to,” Banik said.
On April 18, the weather was cold and Trump complained to reporters outside the courthouse. In court, Blanche had to file a complaint on his behalf.
Marchan’s response included an observation that court workers, attorneys, journalists and others who have spent a lot of time in Room 1530 have long recognized: The room has two temperatures: cold and hot.
“I’d rather be really cold than sweat,” Marchian said.
When Murchin or the jury enter or exit, Trump must stand, as do thousands of defendants in the same seat.
On one occasion, on Friday, April 19, as proceedings were winding down, Trump woke up a little too early.
“Sir, please sit down,” Mokian told him. The judge decides when the defendant can leave the courtroom.
But if the merchant was the top man at court, there was no doubt who was next in line. Trump stood up and walked out with his team. He handed the phone to his assistant. The heavy wooden door closed again. He shielded himself from the waiting cameras by returning to the hallway.
Everyone in the room waited for the crackle of the radio, signaling that the area was secure this time. Till then no one is allowed to stand. Journalists have been warned not to speak loudly.
During Trump’s hallway speech and later Monday, Bragg and his team of prosecutors tried to escape through a side door normally used by court staff. They came back a minute later, looking frustrated and bored, unable to leave.
Finally there is the radio chorus. Bragg bowed his head and hurried out the same side door. The rest of the cell was then allowed to file.
Trump has left the building.
Graham Cates
Graham Cates is an investigative reporter for CBS News Digital, covering criminal justice, privacy issues and data protection. Contact Graham at [email protected] or [email protected]
