Alina Habba, the attorney representing Donald Trump in a defamation trial, has received 14 reprimands from the judge overseeing the case.
According to a former federal judge, Lewis Kaplan has shown restraint in his admonishment of Habba, but she has been criticized for unprofessional behavior and prioritizing Trump’s satisfaction over respecting the judge.
The approach is seen as likely to backfire and create a negative impression on the jury, potentially harming her defense strategy.
“I think Kaplan is being really measured under the circumstances in his reactions to both Trump and Habba,” former U.S. District Judge John Jones said.
Kaplan “was really careful about not overreacting, and I don’t think he overreacted to Habba either,” he added. “I think he’s trying to send her signals, which is what a good judge does, about how to try her case and what to do, and she’s just blowing past those signals.”
“It’s an unprofessional and bad look,” Jones said. “But I think Habba doesn’t care about any of that. What she cares about is making Trump happy.”
“The inescapable conclusion the jury members get is that she’s run afoul the judge and that she’s doing something wrong,” Jones said, pointing out that Habba not only lacks “a strategy and a clear defense, rather than to just be disruptive in court, but she’s got an impossible situation with her client. So I mean, this is a horror show from a defensive standpoint.”
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