Judge Scolds Lawyers In Manafort Trial For Being D-Bags About The Whole Thing

Eye-rolling, grandstanding, the Manafort judge is having none of it.

The Manafort trial is expected to take three weeks, and we’re only on day two. Apparently, they’re talking about suits or something.

But lawyers for both sides are out here, mugging for the journalists and jury. Apparently District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who is presiding over the trial, has already had enough. From Politico:

“Lawyers on both sides need to rein in their facial expressions,” Ellis said Wednesday morning. “It’s been reported to me that lawyers on both sides upon leaving the bench, roll their eyes, communicating to those who are watching them, essentially, ‘Why do we have to put up with this idiot judge?’”

Burn.

Now, if I were there, I’d have said: “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” But I imagine ol’ T.S… Ellis would hold me in contempt, as he’s probably heard that before.

In any event, Judge Ellis isn’t just the face police, he’s also the language police:

On Wednesday he warned prosecutors against using the word “oligarchs” to describe the wealthy men who paid Manafort for his political consulting work on behalf of the country’s ousted president, Viktor Yanukovych.

“We’re not going to have a case tried that he associated with despicable people and, therefore, he’s despicable,” Ellis said. “That’s not the American way.”

“Oligarchy is just despotic power exercised by a privileged few,” Ellis added. “Principals of high schools are oligarchs in that sense.”

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This is being a good judge, at least to my mind. It is fair to call the men Manafort is linked to as “oligarchs” in the press, it’s an accurate and evocative description of what people are talking about. But in a court of law, it’s a prejudicial term.

I’m looking forward to more quips from Judge Ellis. The trial itself is kind of boring. Important to be sure, but financial crimes don’t make for scintillating courtroom drama, to me. But a judge busting up some preening lawyers is always good fun.

‘This idiot judge?’: Salty Manafort trial chief cracks wise and cracks down [Politico]


Elie Mystal is the Executive Editor of Above the Law and the Legal Editor for More Perfect. He can be reached @ElieNYC on Twitter, or at elie@abovethelaw.com. He will resist.

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