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Donald Trump not allowed to make any closing statement at New York fraud trial, says judge
Closing day drama at Donald Trump's civil fraud trial: Former president refuses speech restrictions, faces charges of exaggerating property values.
The closing day of his civil fraud trial in New York will not feature any statement from former President Donald Trump.
The former US president had been expected to speak during the closing arguments, but the judge revealed emails that showed he had refused to accept any restrictions on his speech.
The judge told Trump’s lawyers, “Take it or leave it. Now or never.”
Trump’s lawyers also requested a delay in the hearing until the end of January, citing the death of Melania Trump’s mother as a “deeply personal matter”.
But Judge Arthur Engoran rejected the request, saying he was “sorry” but the arrangements and schedules were already fixed.
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He said he was also “anxious to hear a full day of closing statements as I consider the case as a whole”.
Trump and his two adult sons are facing six charges of civil fraud, after the judge already found them guilty of business fraud. They are accused of exaggerating the value of their properties by hundreds of millions of dollars to get better loans. They deny any wrongdoing.
The trial is not criminal, but the judge has to decide how much to fine Trump in penalties. The prosecutor, New York Attorney General Letitia James, is seeking a fine of $370m (£290m) and a ban on Trump from doing real-estate business in New York.
‘Take it or leave it’: Judge
US media had been speculating for days about whether Trump would speak during the closing arguments.
But on Wednesday, Judge Arthur Engoran made public the emails he had exchanged with Christopher Kise, one of Trump’s lawyers, which indicated that it would not happen.
In the emails, Kise asked the judge to postpone the hearing until the end of January, because of the death of Trump’s mother, Amalija Knavs, 78.
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Judge Engoran expressed his condolences, but denied the request, saying that every time Trump appeared in court, it required a lot of planning and people to change their schedules.
“Of course, I am also anxious to hear a full day of closing statements as I consider the case as a whole,” he added.
Trump refuses conditions for NYC fraud trial closing statement
Kise then responded that Trump would speak on Thursday - but the judge said that Trump had to agree to some limitations if he wanted to speak.
The former president is still expected to show up in court on 11 January for the end of the trial, which started in October.
Judge Arthur Engoron has said he will decide the penalties of the case by the end of the month. There was no jury in this trial, as it was a bench trial.
