Judge Merchan's Outrageous Rulings in Trump Trial Demand Public Scrutiny

Legal expert Alan Dershowitz has condemned the conduct of Judge Juan Merchan in the New York criminal trial against former President Donald Trump, calling his rulings "outrageous" and demanding that the proceedings be televised for the public to witness.

Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz has launched a scathing attack on Judge Juan Merchan for his conduct in the New York criminal trial against former President Donald Trump, calling his rulings "outrageous" and demanding that the trial be broadcast on television so that the American public can see the "spectacle" for themselves.

In an appearance on "The Brian Kilmeade Show," Dershowitz described Merchan as a "tyrant" after he threatened to strike the testimony of Bob Costello, the defense's main witness, an act that Dershowitz argued would have violated the Sixth Amendment.

"I've been in courthouses in every part of the world and in China, in Russia, in Ukraine, in Israel," Dershowitz said. "I've been all over. I've never seen a spectacle like this. And that's why it should have been on television, so the American public could see how outrageous this judge is."

Dershowitz went on to criticize Merchan for his "outrageous" rulings throughout the trial, claiming that the judge had consistently ruled against the defense and made rulings that were "wrong" and "absurd."

"Bob Costello testifies, Merchan rules against him at every point, keeps out his testimony, makes outrageous rulings that any first-year student taking evidence would know was wrong," Dershowitz said. "And Bob Costello does what I did: He rolled his eyes. And I rolled my eyes, I said, I couldn't believe the judge was making these rulings."

Dershowitz said that Merchan's behavior was "unprecedented" and that he had never seen a judge threaten to strike the testimony of a main witness for a defendant.

"Can you imagine if this judge had actually struck the testimony of Bob Costello?" Dershowitz asked. "It would result in an automatic mistrial, new trial, and a verdict against the prosecution. The judge was bluffing. He ought to be disciplined for making that threat because the threat was an idle threat. He obviously didn't act on it. …You can't throw out a witness's testimony and punish the defendant that way. It's just an outrageous threat."

Dershowitz concluded by saying that the American public should be allowed to see the trial for themselves and that he believed that Merchan's behavior would not stand up to public scrutiny.

"They just won't allow the American public to watch this trial, and I don't blame them," Dershowitz said. "If I were the judge, I would never want this trial to be on television because he's behaved so outrageously."

The trial against Trump is set to resume on Tuesday, May 28, with closing arguments from the prosecution and defense attorneys. The jury is expected to begin deliberating on the case either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday after Memorial Day.