'Self-inflicted wound': Donald Trump's disrespect for judge could turn hush money trial jury against him, ex-prosecutor warns
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former President Donald Trump's confrontational approach toward the judge presiding over his criminal hush money case could prove detrimental in the eyes of the jury, cautioned a former federal prosecutor.
Jim Walden, now practicing law privately, highlighted Trump's failure to grasp the pivotal role judges play in shaping jury perception.
"The thing that I think Trump just doesn't get is, even if you don't like the judge, the jury is going to like the judge," Walden emphasized to The Washington Post. "When you're super disrespectful to someone the jury sees as a professional person doing their job, that's a self-inflicted wound," reported Newsweek.
"Whatever else Donald Trump may be—a great businessman, a great reality TV show host, a great politician—he's a dumb lawyer," Walden remarked. He attributed this assessment to Trump's overly involved stance in his legal defense.
Donald Trump's historic criminal trial
The prosecution aims to demonstrate Trump's involvement in payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, allegedly to silence her about an affair preceding the 2016 presidential election. Trump, now the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee for president, denies these allegations.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records, contending that the payments were illegal campaign contributions. Trump maintains his innocence, asserting the case's politically motivated nature.
Defense's ill-advised choice to call Robert Costello to testify
The legal missteps in Trump's defense were exemplified by the decision to call attorney Robert Costello as a witness, according to Walden. Costello, who previously advised Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen, was summoned by the defense to challenge Cohen's testimony.
However, this move backfired when Judge Juan Merchan rebuked Costello for "contemptuous" behavior in court including interjecting with comments, rolling his eyes and staring at Merchan from the witness stand, derailing the defense's momentum.
"Costello was a disaster," Walden claimed. "The defense finally got some momentum, and it all got dialed back because Costello was playing to Trump instead of playing it straight. He had a good story to tell, and instead, they put the throttle right back in the prosecutor's hands."
Cohen was subsequently incarcerated for offenses related to illegal campaign contributions, tax fraud, and additional charges.
