Merchan admonishes defense witness Robert Costello for 'improper decorum'

New York Judge Juan Merchan admonished a defense witness in former President Donald Trump's alleged hush money case on Monday, after the witness acted improperly on the witness stand.

Prosecutors for the Manhattan District Attorney's office rested their case on Monday afternoon, concluding four weeks of testimony in which they attempted to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal an alleged "hush money" payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels.

The defense brought up former Trump legal adviser Robert Costello as its second witness, who was testifying about the state of mind of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen when it became clear that the FBI was targeting him. 

Costello however had allegedly rolled his eyes, and said "geez" when Merchan sustained an objection from prosecutors, which earned condemnation from the judge. Merchan ordered the courtroom to be cleared so he could criticize Costello about "proper decorum" in the courtroom.

“When there is an eyewitness on the stand, if you don’t like a ruling, you don’t say ‘Geez,’” the judge chastised Costello, according to Politico. "And then you don’t say strike it. You don’t give me side eye and you don’t roll your eyes."

The press and jury were allowed back in moments later.

Costello testified that Cohen was suicidal when he encountered him after the FBI had raided Cohen's office and residence. Costello claimed that Cohen told him he had been on the roof of the Regency Hotel and was going to "jump off and kill himself because he couldn’t handle the ongoing criminal case," just two days before their meeting.

The testimony comes after Cohen revealed on Monday that he had stolen money from the Trump Organization, after he failed to fully reimburse a company that provided services to the organization and pocketed the difference.  

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.