Judge Scorches Alina Habba For Not Knowing How to Introduce Evidence at Trial
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Judge Scorches Alina Habba For Not Knowing How to Introduce Evidence at Trial
Alina Habba's disastrous day in court continues to get worse.
As Habba, Donald Trump's attorney, began her cross examination of E. Jean Carroll during the second day of the defamation trial, one thing quickly became clear: Habba does not even understand the most basic aspects of being a lawyer.
Notably, Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan ripped into Habba repeatedly for attempting break the rules and asking E. Jean Carroll questions about things that had not been entered into evidence. At times, it not only appeared that Habba had never tried a case in her entire life, but also seemed like she forgot to attend class entirely while in law school.
The judge quickly realized Habba's lack of knowledge in the courtroom early on during the cross examination during the following exchange. The transcripts below have been brilliantly reported from inside the courtroom by Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press :
Habba: You said, I came to New York to interview Fran Lebowitz.
Judge Kaplan: Can I get the transcript?
Roberta Kaplan: Your Honor, I don't see the difference
Habba: May I proceed?
Judge Kaplan: No. She just said something. And you haven't provided the transcript
Judge Kaplan: Ms. Habba, we're going to do it my way in this courtroom and that's how it's going to be. You tell me the line number and I read it. Then we go from there.
Habba: I was reading --
Judge Kaplan: We are going to take a recess...
Judge Kaplan then questioned what Habba was attempting to enter into the record:
Judge Kaplan : Do not read it out loud. What line numbers?
Habba: Page 14, 6 through 8.
Judge Kaplan: What are you doing, offering into evidence?
Habba: I'm offering it as impeachment.
Judge Kaplan: Those are 2 different things.
And it didn't end there:
Habba: Do you know if there is a communications team at the White House?
Carroll: I don't know.
Habba: I represent to you that it does.
Judge Kaplan: You're not going to be representing anything, or you'll be a witness.
Even after being continuously warned, Habba tried to break the rules:
Habba: Many people called you a liar before the President made his statement -
Carroll's lawyer: She's not asking a question.
Habba: I wasn't finished. It says, "You're a pathetic old hag"
Judge Kaplan: It's not in evidence.
Habba: I'm trying to get it in.
Judge Kaplan: No, we are not going to read out loud a document not yet in evidence. We are going to take a break right here to 3:30 and you're going to refresh your memory about how you get a document in.
Ouch.
When the court resumed session, Judge Kaplan warned Habba once again, "Ms. Habba can't use documents that are not in evidence."
Habba found herself flustered in the courtroom, clueless of how to cross examine a witness. Judge Kaplan found himself again having to explain to Habba the basics courts work:
Habba: Did you receive Tweets in the 5 hours before President Trump spoke.
Carroll: I hadn't seen them.
Habba: Were you tagged?
Judge Kaplan: Don't get into content!
Habba: How do you suggest I proceed?
Judge Kaplan: Show it to her, ask if she recognizes it.
Habba: Do you recognize it?
Carroll: Yes.
Judge Kaplan: It's not marked. It should be marked. Do it appropriately. Do it overnight. They. Need. To. Be. Premarked.
The incompetence of Alina Habba during this trial is simply staggering.
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Trump wanted her for her physical appearance and her lackeyness, who cares if she is a good lawyer?
I'm sure he still doesnt care.
Meanwhile trump threw a fit in court today and the judge let him have it.
I loved this exchange
Is she the one who stated a few days ago that she would rather be pretty than smart or words to that effect?
If she is, she be assured that the Judge, court and witnesses all agree is is pretty but dumber than a rock.
Would rather be pretty than smart? I grew up with a lot of girls like that....
Is she the one who stated a few days ago that she would rather be pretty than smart or words to that effect?
If she is, she is assured that the Judge, court and witnesses all agree she is pretty but dumber than a rock.
She is.
Trump sure knows how to choose a lawyer.
I suspect he does not have his pick of the best unless they have an iron-clad method for payment.
You're right. Without payment, no lawyer would take his case. There's nothing in it for them, otherwise. Some might once have taken it for the publicity, but it turns out that the saying "No publicity is bad publicity" isn't true in the case of a lawyer taking on a sleazy client.
yep.
She stated that she could fake smart; maybe not.
She's doing a piss poor job of it
Habba is a classic example of a corporate attorney. I have been told by lawyers I know that corporate attorneys have little to no courtroom experience at all and prefer to settle out of court where they can get away with not having to set foot in a courtroom. Many corporate lawyers wind up as judges.
By settling out of court, corporate lawyers also stand a better chance of large and quick payouts without long and drawn out court battles/cases.