Donald Trump Scolded By Judge in Courtroom

Judge Arthur Engoron scolded former President Donald Trump for speaking during a witness' testimony in his business fraud trial on Wednesday.

Trump appeared in court Wednesday for his trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James' $250 million lawsuit accusing him of business fraud. James accused Trump of inflating his net worth by billions of dollars to obtain benefits such as better bank loans and reduced tax bills between 2011 and 2021. The lawsuit is civil, not criminal, meaning that Trump will not face jail time in this case. Trump maintains his innocence in the case, accusing prosecutors of targeting him for political purposes.

Engoron ruled last month that Trump, his adult sons, their businesses and executives committed fraud and will now decide on six other accusations, including falsifying business records, insurance fraud, and conspiracy claims during the trial. Trump's attorneys did not request an jury, so Engoron will rule on the other accusations.

Real estate appraiser Doug Larson continued providing his testimony in the case on Wednesday. Trump's financial documents allege that building valuations for several Trump properties were determined through conversations with Larson.

Larson faced tense questioning from Trump's lawyer Lazaro Fields, who pressed him about his 2015 appraisal of a Wall Street building owned by Trump, the Associated Press reported. He allegedly "undershot" the value by $114 million, but defended it by saying the "values were not wrong" and were "what we knew at the time."

His testimony prompted Trump to throw his hands up and begin to speak to his attorneys, prompting James' legal team to request Engoron to tell Trump not to speak during witness testimony, Law360's Stewart Bishop wrote in a post to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Engoron issued a warning to Trump to remain silent during Larson's testimony, Bishop reported.

"Ok, I'll ask everyone to be quiet when the witness is testifying, particularly if it's meant to influence [the] testimony," he said.

Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment via email.

The exchange was not the only tense moment during Larson's Wednesday testimony. Less than an hour later, Trump's attorneys accused Larson of lying in the testimony he provided on Tuesday.

Fields questioned him about an email he received from Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney on August 5, 2013. McConney asked Larson to provide a report similar to one he had attached to the email. Larson previously denied having a conversation with McConney regarding the 40 Wall Street property in 2016.

"You lied yesterday, didn't you?" Fields said to Larson, as another Trump lawyer Chris Kise urged Engoron to issue a warning about perjury. The state, meanwhile, argued that Kise was creating a "performance" for the press. Engoron also questioned his concern.

Although Trump will not face criminal charges in this case, the outcome could hamper his ability to conduct business in the state of New York. Legal experts have described the ruling as the corporate death penalty, while former Trump attorney Michael Cohen on Sunday said it could be a financial catastrophe for him.

Engoron ordered that some of Trump's business licenses be rescinded and that the companies that own some of his properties be handed over to independent receivers. Trump has until October 26 to provide a list of potential receivers for his New York businesses.