Judge Arthur Engoron, who previously handed Trump a gag order for attacking a court clerk on social media, ordered the former president to quiet down after he expressed frustration and interrupted real estate appraiser Doug Larson’s testimony by speaking loudly to his legal team.
New York State lawyer Kevin Wallace had complained to Engoron, saying that Trump’s “exhortations” were distracting to those on the witness’ side of the room, the Associated Press reported.
A few hours later, a reporter for Law 360 reported that an unnamed woman had “walked up to the front of the [public] gallery, approaching ‘the well’ where Trump was seated.” She was immediately confronted by law enforcement, who told her to return to her seat then later led her out of the courtroom.
In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for New York State courts said the woman was a court employee who had since been placed on administrative leave. She was “yelling out to Mr. Trump indicating she wanted to assist him,” the spokesperson said.
The reaction of his supporters to his being jailed is a very real factor to consider, like it or not, the judge has to weigh public safety as well.
I get the idea, but it’s akin to saying “let’s not enforce the law because these people might break more laws”. It says to the public: to escape justice, you have to be violent enough that people fear you.