Former President Donald Trump will not deliver his own closing argument in his New York civil business fraud trial as initially planned.
The decision to rescind the conditional permission for this unusual approach came from Judge Arthur Engoron a day before closing arguments.
The judge insisted that Trump adhere to the standard rules applicable to attorneys’ closing arguments, prohibiting attacks on the characters of adversaries, the judge, or others in the court system.
Trump’s legal team objected, claiming these restrictions unfairly restricted his ability to speak.
Following the judge’s decision on Wednesday, Trump’s attorney Alina Habba remarked, “Is anyone surprised anymore?”
The trial carries the potential for significant financial penalties for Trump, possibly costing him hundreds of millions of dollars and impacting his business activities in New York, the Associated Press reported.
The allegations involve claims that Trump inflated his net worth on financial statements to secure loans and insurance.
Trump, a current Republican front-runner for the 2024 election, denies any wrongdoing, dismissing the case as a “hoax” and a political attack.
The presiding judge, a Democrat, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the lawsuit, share the same political affiliation.
In a pretrial ruling, Judge Engoron had previously determined that Trump engaged in fraud over several years.
The trial, which involves remaining claims of conspiracy, insurance fraud, and falsifying business records, will conclude with Engoron rendering the verdict.
Written by B.C. Begley
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B.C. Begley 