It happened minutes into the testimony of Robert Costello, a former federal prosecutor who has publicly blasted the prosecution’s star witness, Michael Cohen. Costello aggravated Judge Juan M. Merchan repeatedly in his testimony by making comments under his breath and continuing to speak after objections are sustained — a signal to witnesses to stop talking.
After excusing the jury, Merchan told the witness: “Mr. Costello, I want to discuss proper decorum in my courtroom. When there’s a witness on the stand, if you don’t like my ruling, you don’t say ‘jeez’ .
.. You don’t give me side eye, and you don’t roll your eyes.
” The prosecution rested its case earlier Monday after several days of testimony from Cohen, Trump's loyal attorney-turned-adversary whom the defense sought to paint as a serial fabulist who is on a revenge campaign aimed at taking down Trump. Costello, a former federal prosecutor in New York, is relevant to the case because of his role as a Cohen antagonist and critic in the years since a professional relationship splintered in spectacular fashion. Costello had offered to represent Cohen soon after the lawyer’s hotel room, office and home were raided and as Cohen faced a decision about whether to remain defiant in the face of a criminal investigation or to cooperate with authorities in hopes of securing more lenient treatment.
Costello tesified that Cohen told him Trump “knew nothing” about the $130,000 hush money payment to porn acto.