Prosecutors rest in Trump trial, and Judge Merchan erupts at a witness

NEW YORK - Prosecutors rested their case against former president Donald Trump on Monday, a momentous day in the month-long trial that was quickly overshadowed by the judge's angry dressing-down of a witness he thought was being disrespectful.

For most of the day, the trial seemed to be winding down; defense lawyers indicated they did not plan to call Trump as a witness, and might finish presenting their case in a few hours. That schedule suddenly changed when their second witness, lawyer Robert Costello, infuriated the judge.

"Are you staring me down right now?" New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan asked incredulously of Costello, an outspoken critic of the case filed against Trump by the Manhattan district attorney.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/20/trump-hush-money-trial-robert-costello/