“Judge reprimands Trump lawyer for failing ‘Evidence 101’ in trial: ‘Did you not hear me?”

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During Thursday’s trial in the defamation suit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll against former President Trump, lawyer Alina Habba raised questions about Carroll’s income. The judge, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, expressed displeasure with Habba’s approach when she inquired about Carroll’s earnings from Substack posts, interrupting with, “What constitutes ‘a good amount of money’?” Kaplan then added, “Evidence 101,” signaling a need for more precision in the questioning.

Habba’s scrutiny of Carroll’s income, both before and after the release of her 2019 book outlining sexual assault allegations against Trump, centers on the argument that Carroll chose to write the book as her once-thriving career started to decline, as reported by CNN. During questioning, Carroll disclosed earning approximately $100,000 from Substack and book royalties. In response, the Trump lawyer pressed her to confirm if this amount exceeded her 2018 income at Elle for her column. Carroll asserted earning $60,000 at Elle but noted earning up to $400,000 during the peak of her 90s career.

Habba also delved into messages Carroll received between the publication of her 2019 story in “The Cut” and Trump’s social media denial of the accusations. Throughout the proceedings, the Trump lawyer faced criticism from the federal judge, with one tense exchange on Wednesday culminating in Kaplan scolding her and directing her to “sit down.”

During Thursday’s cross-examination, Habba encountered ten consecutive sustained objections from Carroll’s attorneys, according to journalist Matthew Russell Lee. Despite the objections, the judge confronted Habba, asking, “Did you not hear me?” as she persisted with her line of questioning.