Trump's lawyers were 'surprised' fraud trial wasn't like Legally Blonde: legal expert
Trump's day in Manhattan court attempting to defeat a fraud rap felt like it was a twisted scene pulled from the hit flick "Legally Blonde," according to one legal expert.
"Today... was a bit like watching 'Legally Blonde,' MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin told Chris Hayes on his show.
She cited a critical denouement at the end of the film where the judge cuts short a trial after damning testimony.
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"For our viewers who know this movie well, there's a moment that the end of the movie where a witness on the stand breaks down and admits to a crime, and the judge essentially rules the trial over, because Elle Woods' client is 'not guilty!'"
Elle Woods, portrayed by Reese Witherspoon, is the main character in the film who takes her sorority past to master the law and win a case in court.
The day witnessed Judge Arthur Engoron penalize former President Donald Trump $10,000 fine for violating a gag order he set earlier this month for the second time.
And it was a day where Trump's former "fixer" Michael Cohen was grilled by Trump’s attorneys in an attempt to catch him in a contradiction.
Rubin pointed out that Trump family attorney Cliff Robert tried and failed in big screen fashion to secure what is called a "directed verdict" -- essentially urging the judge to make a hasty decision in favor of Trump solely based on Cohen's testimony on the witness stand.
“Absolutely denied,” Engoron quipped. “This case has evidence, an incredible amount—evidence all over the place…That’s absurd, Mr. Robert.”
"He moved for what's called a directed verdict -- that's asking the judge, basically, truncate the trial, and end it now, fine for us," Rubin said on the show. "And he didn't do that."
"But that's what they expected to happen. And they honestly seemed surprised."
While team Trump was taken aback by the denial, Rubin noted how Trump himself "seemed just downright angry."
"It was definitely like television or film," she added.