(Photo
by
BRENDAN
MCDERMID/POOL/AFP
via
Getty
Images)
The
judge
is
controlling
his
courtroom
and
he
is
not
tolerant
of
wasted
time.
This
judge
is
conducting
the
voir
dire
as
every
judge
should:
He
hears
arguments,
for
or
against
cause
and
he
makes
a
decision.
He
doesn’t
countenance
pontification
and
unnecessary
argument.
Yet
what’s
clear
to
me
is
he
is
handling,
he
is
inviting
and
accepting,
an
argument
that
is
focused
on
the
issue
at
hand.
—
New
York
white-collar
defense
attorney
Robert
Gottlieb
told
law.com
the
speed
at
which
the
criminal
case
against
Donald
Trump
is
coming
together
is
no
accident.
Gottlieb
noted,
“They
have
clearly
cleaned
the
decks
to
allow
the
judge
to
devote
his
undivided
and
full
attention
to
this
trial
without
any
interruptions.”
And
that
the
judge
was
in
firm
control
of
everything
gong
on
in
his
courtroom,
“You
do
not
see
the
type
and
extent
of
control
that
Judge
Merchan
is
exercising
in
every
case.”