October 4, 2023

"We haven't seen anything as shocking in a trial since Jesus appeared before Pontius Pilate." I said that today, after reading about Trump's New York fraud trial.

The judge's name is Arthur Angoron, and his reputation is as frightening as his face. He's the judge who will be judge and jury at Donald Trump's civil trial because of a New York law that makes this trial a bench trial. No jury. The judge will determine the facts.

The New York Times describes Angoron as "an independent and thoughtful -- if somewhat quirky -- jurist."

"Quirky" and "judge" really shouldn't appear in any sentence. But that's the guy who is determined to strip Donald Trump of everything he owns.

In 2015, Judge Angoron gave a palsy address at CUNY in which he explored the role of a judge in a trial. 

He smirked as he said proudly that he, as judge, had a lot of discretion. That sometimes he cannot allow the jury's verdict to stand because their decision wasn't right.

"Am I interpreting the law, or am I making law," he asked the audience coyly, gesturing in a way that left no doubt that he had no problem with making law.

It was scary. As scary as his yellow teeth. And his posing for a photo op before court. Grinning with those yellow teeth.

Hang tough.