New York Judge Arthur Ergoron issued a surprising statement on Monday regarding the ongoing fraud lawsuit brought against former President Donald Trump by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
He stated that there was no request for a jury trial from either side, as reported by The Messenger’s Adam Klasfeld. In simpler terms, Trump won’t have a jury trial for the $250 million fraud case because his legal team didn’t request it, as explained by The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell.
This revelation left legal experts astonished, considering it a significant mistake by Trump’s lawyers. MSNBC’s legal analyst Katie Phang expressed her surprise, wondering how Trump must be feeling about this mishap by his legal team. Former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman went further, calling this decision “mind-blowing.”
Litman emphasized that for Trump to leave his fate in the hands of this judge, whom he has criticized in the past, is not only a legal blunder but also very worrisome for him. Litman pointed out that requesting a jury trial is a straightforward process – you just check a box on a form.
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It’s hard to believe that Trump didn’t realize his lawyers hadn’t done this, especially when he has been openly criticizing the judge who will decide the outcome of this significant fraud trial.
Safeguard Attorney Andrew Fleischman also weighed in, expressing disbelief that any competent attorney would make such a mistake. He highlighted that there’s little strategic reason for wanting a jury trial when the judge had already sanctioned Trump’s lawyers for making frivolous arguments.
In this unexpected turn of events, the lawsuit could have serious consequences for Trump, and it has left legal experts astounded by the apparent oversight of his legal team.
