Judge tells Menendez lawyer to ‘shut up’

A federal judge told a lawyer representing Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to “shut up for a moment” during a heated argument on the opening day of his federal corruption trial, Politico reports.  

Menendez’s attorney, Raymond Brown, was criticizing the judge’s decision to reject a request to delay the trial to allow the senator to return to the Capitol for votes. Brown said the language in the opinion was “prejudicial” to the defense.

“Quite frankly, your honor, that language is extremely prejudicial to the defense and it comes form the court. I think the court has disparaged the defense,” said Brown, on the judge’s opinion rejecting the defense request. 

The judge and attorney began to argue.

{mosads}

“Shut up for a moment if you don’t mind,” Walls said, defending his opinion.

Walls said his opinion was meant to “underscore what I considered the lack of merits in this motion.” 

In his opinion, Walls had called the request to delay the trial for Senate votes “nigh frivolous.”

He also said the defense was trying to “impress the jurors with the public importance of the defendant Senator and his duties.”

The New Jersey Democrat is standing trial on corruption and bribery charges. He’s accused of using his influence to help a longtime friend and co-defendant, Salomon Melgen, in exchange for gifts and political donations.