Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Marchand blasted Donald Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, for suggesting to jurors that the former president could face prison if convicted.
“You can’t send someone to prison based on what Michael Cohen says,” Blanche told jurors in his closing argument.
The prosecution objected, and the judge agreed, stricken the statement from the record, but the jury heard it.
After the jury was dismissed for lunch, the prosecution argued the remarks were “a blatant and totally inappropriate attempt to elicit sympathy for the defendant.”
An infuriated Marchant told Blanche that the longtime lawyer and former prosecutor should not have made the “outrageous” and “highly inappropriate” comments because jurors are not allowed to consider punishment when reaching a verdict.
“Those comments are outrageous,” the judge said.
“You know it’s extremely inappropriate to make such a statement. It’s hard to imagine that it was an accident.”
Marchan said he will tell jurors about the exchange when the trial resumes at 2 p.m.
