Trump again denied early verdict in NY trial: "There's no way I'm going to grant that"
New York, New York - Donald Trump and his legal team again requested that his civil fraud trial be granted an early decision, which was quickly denied by the judge.
According to Newsweek, Trump's lawyers put in their fifth request for a direct verdict on the case on Tuesday, to which Judge Arthur Engoron responded, "There's no way I'm going to grant that, but [you can] send me something."
The defense concluded their month-long case that day, with Trump's attorney, Chris Kise, arguing that the decision should be granted as "no evidence of fraud, no victims, no damage" was proven by the prosecution.
New York state prosecutor Kevin Wallace fired back that Kise's request was "silly" and a "colossal waste of resources."
The former president and his Trump Organization are being sued by New York Attorney General Letitia James for $250 million in damages for allegedly inflating his worth for financial gain.
Donald Trump lashes out at gag order after skipping testimony
Trump is also confident that his team has presented a solid defense. He had planned to return to the witness stand earlier this week but blamed his absence on a recent gag order placed on the case.
"I wanted to testify on Monday, despite the fact that I already testified successfully," he shared on Truth Social, falsely adding that the order "[takes] away my constitutional right to defend myself."
Both sides are expected to begin closing arguments on January 11, 2024, after which Judge Engoron will rule on the suit.
Cover photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP